Strikes planned for April by 150 mill workers employed by animal feed manufacturer AB AGRI have been called off after workers voted to accept a two-year pay deal worth 13%.
The Unite union had warned that the planned strikes at mills would cause ‘significant disruption’ at AB AGRI mills in Suffolk, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Fife, Devon, Lincolnshire and East and North Yorkshire, which produce a large proportion of the UK’s pig and poultry feed.
They had rejected an pay offer of 4.5%, which the union said, with inflation running at 13.4%, would have represented a significant real terms pay cut.
But Unite has now confirmed that the strikes are off, after an improved pay deal was agreed. The workers will receive a pay rise of 4.5% back paid from October 2022, plus a 1.5% lump sum. From September 2023, their pay will increase again by an additional 5.5% with a further 2% in January 2024.
An additional day’s annual leave is also included in the deal, which Unite, said also contains an agreement to allow union recognition across AB AGRI’s mills.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “By standing together in their union, AB AGRI workers won a much-improved pay offer and strengthened their collective bargaining position across the company.
“As this pay deal shows, Unite’s renewed focus on defending and improving jobs, pay and conditions gets more cash in our members’ pockets.”
An ABN spokesperson said: “At ABN we are committed to being an employer of choice that aims to attract and retain our employees by offering competitive packages.
“We had a productive conversation with Unite on Tuesday and agreed a way forward for all parties. We look forward to continuing to work with them.”