Staff at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are being balloted for strike action that the meat processing sector has warned could bring the meat industry ‘to a standstill’ over the festive period.
The dispute involving several hundred inspectors, vets, and office-based staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland could bring the industry to a halt, according to the union.
Earlier in the year, FSA staff voted to reject a pay offer of between 2% and 5%. UNISON, the UK’s largest union said this was significantly lower than inflation – currently 9.9% – and falls short of the 10% pay claim it put forward.
The ballot of FSA employees opened on October 10 and closes on October 31. FSA staff last went on strike over pay in 2014 and UNISON said the ballot could result in strikes in the run up to and over Christmas leading to less meat on supermarket shelves.
UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “FSA staff play a vital role in keeping contaminated meat off people’s plates. But many have to work in a difficult and unpleasant conditions inspecting carcasses for signs of disease.
“These employees protect consumers, ensure good animal welfare, and must be rewarded accordingly. The FSA needs to come up with a significantly higher offer to avoid any disruption.”
Robert Locker, head of field operations at the FSA said: “We are aware that UNISON is currently balloting its members and the ballot closes on October 31. We await the ballot result and notification from UNISON of its next steps. Should UNISON decide to take industrial action, our contingency plans will help minimise any disruption to meat supplies.”
British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) chief executive Nick Allen warned that strike action by FSA staff has the potential to bring a lot of the meat supply chain ‘to a standstill’, especially against the backdrop of ongoing labour shortages.
“Without Meat Hygiene Inspectors and Official Veterinarians, animals cannot be slaughtered and meat cannot be released and sent for sale in shops,” he said.
“Because of the geographical spread of abattoirs and meat processing plants, along with the specialised nature of the job, it won’t always be possible for FSA to re-direct non-striking staff to where they’re needed. A sheep or cattle expert in one location can’t simply be seconded to a pig or poultry processor in another part of the country. To make matters worse, we already have a shortage of people in these posts due to the labour crisis.
“The choice of timing for the strikes will also cause maximum damage to the whole domestic and export supply chain.
“Not only will it disrupt Christmas supplies to shops when volumes are at their highest during the year, but it has the potential to cause a serious animal welfare problem on farms if processors simply can’t take any animals due to the absence of a vet. This strike action will hurt the FSA, processors, consumers, farmers and animals alike.”