Picket line at Pennine Foods photo Alistair Tice

Picket line at Pennine Foods photo Alistair Tice   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Chris McAndrew and Joe Diviney

Strike action has scored a victory at Pennine Foods in Sheffield.

Bosses have suspended implementation of new contracts, and agreed to backdate a 2% pay rise for all workers to last August. Negotiations are still ongoing, with bakers’ union BFAWU saying parent company 2 Sisters is making “major moves in our direction.”

Management tried to make workers pay for Tory chancellor George Osborne’s new National ‘Living Wage’. Some staff faced losing up to £5,000. BFAWU, which has 400 members at the factory, staged two 48-hour strikes against new contracts.

After the first stoppage, bosses sent a letter to strikers saying how “disappointed” the company was, and claimed it had not affected production. This did not stand up to reason during the next strike.

A hundred-strong picket line ensured no lorries got in or out for the duration, shutting down the factory. The strike cost the company thousands.

After seeing off attempts by South Yorkshire Police to escort lorries across the line, a mass meeting voted for a week of strike action. Faced with a whole week of lost profits, management returned to the negotiating table.

BFAWU members will want to remain vigilant and ready to strike again if bosses try to make savings in the new contract. Workers remain enthusiastic. One said they are “ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

This victory shows the importance of bold and resolute strike action.