Fear for Christmas as meat industry strikes
A shortage of turkey?
Friday, 21, Nov 2008 06:45
The meat industry has decided to strike for three days in early December, causing fear of a disruption in turkey supplies in the run up to Christmas.
Meat hygiene inspectors have voted to strike, by a margin of two to one, in a dispute about overtime pay and changes to their working pattern.
The inspectors are disgruntled about the changes in overtime pay that will leave them about £100 out of pocket a week, and a new 37-hour week which includes unsociable working hours.
Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said: "The last thing that the public and the farming industry need is disruption to supplies in the run up to Christmas. Both sides in this dispute should be working harder to find a solution."
Union leaders are planning to meet bosses on Monday to try to put an end to the proposed industrial action.
Steve McGrath, chief executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, believes that the two sides can work out a deal.
He says in a statement: "We have always felt that it would be possible to reach a negotiated settlement which reflected both a fair deal for our staff and a commitment to modernising the Meat Hygiene Service."
The British Meat Processors Association estimates the cost of the strike at three million pounds.