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Workers at a factory that produces popular Christmas snacks, including Jacob’s Cream Crackers and Twiglets, are on an ‘indefinite’ strike as they demand better pay.
Staff at Jacob’s Biscuits factory in Aintree, Merseyside, walked out of the plant this morning after failed pay negotiations.
Around 120 frustrated workers are manning the picket line after the factory was forced to halt production today.
Jacob’s staff, who say the ongoing cost-of-living crisis has furthered their need for pay rises, will remain on strike ’24 hours a day, seven days a week’ until bosses agree to ‘come back to the negotiating table.’
The Aintree site produces Jacob’s Cream Crackers, Jaffa Cake bars, Twiglets, Club bars, Cheddars, Mini Cheddar Crickets and Nibbles, S&P Savours and Carrs Crispbread Crackers.
The strike has sparked fears that Jacob’s, which makes a slew of festive season snacks, may be unable to meet the anticipated holiday demand.
The company – in a bid to break the strike – is currently in the process of moving production from its Aintree factory to Portugal, a GMB spokesperson told MailOnline.
Jacob’s has reportedly sent ‘lorry loads of equipment’ to the country and plans to begin overseas production early next month.
Staff at Jacob’s Biscuits factory in Aintree, Merseyside walked out of the plant this morning after failed pay negotiations. The workers are pictured during strike action last Wednesday
Staff at the plant in Aintree have been taking limited industrial action since September, but walked out today on indefinite strike.
Machine Operator Timothy Collins told MailOnline that staff will remain on ‘continuous action until we get a deal’.
‘We have been ramping up and implementing action since September 5,’ Mr Collins, 34, said. ‘We staged 12 hours of action last week.’
They are currently operating on a shift rotation to ensure strikers are present around-the-clock.
Mr Collins said workers and union leaders have made the company aware that ‘we are unhappy with pay,’ but bosses still continue to ‘offer the same pot of money’.
Pay negotiations have gone on for more than a year, but have yet to yield an agreement suitable to all involved.
The Aintree site produces Jacob’s Cream Crackers (pictured), Jaffa Cake bars, Twiglets, Club bars, Cheddars, Mini Cheddar Crickets and Nibbles, S&P Savours and Carrs Crisp Bread Crackers
The strike has sparked fears that Jacob’s, which manufacturers a slew of festive season snacks, may be unable to meet the anticipated holiday demand. Pictured: Twiglets
He claims the union requested a 10 per cent rise over one year, but Jacob’s instead offered 8.75 per cent over two years.
This means workers would receive a 4.25 per cent rise this year and 4.5 per cent next year – which Mr Collins claims does not alleviate the hardships of the cost-of-living crisis.
‘We have been very reasonable, but they are a million miles away from our request,’ he explained. ‘We have tried to meet in the middle.’
The union council has offered other proposals, including a request of a 7 per cent rise and one-off payment.
But Mr Collins says: ‘The company is coming back saying they cannot afford that.’
The machine operator, who also organises the union at factory, claims Jacob’s spent £2billion last year and has already profited £20million year-to-date.
He also claims the deal proposed by the union would only cost the firm $1.6million.
MailOnline approached Jacob’s owners Pladis Global for comment.
Around 120 frustrated workers are manning the picket line after the factory was forced to halt production today. Pictured: Staff on strike last Wednesday
Jacob’s staff (pictured on Wednesday), who say the ongoing cost of living crisis has furthered their need for pay rises, will remain on strike ’24 hours a day, seven days a week’ until bosses agree to ‘come back to the negotiating table’
Jacob’s has been operating in Aintree for more than 100 years. The union announced on Twitter last week that its planned strikes would go ahead.
Alongside the announcement, GMB Branch 84 posted an image of a banner which read: ‘Give us back our pay. Give us a pay rise not your crumbs. Leave our T&C’s alone.’
Eamon O’Hearn, national officer of the GMB union, said yesterday: ‘These workers are rightly angry – they put themselves on the line to keep the company going during the pandemic.
‘Now they need some help to get them through the cost-of-living crisis, but it’s falling on deaf ears.
‘Jacob’s workers will now be on strike 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the company comes back to the negotiating table.’
Meantime, Britain is facing a winter of discontent as 100,000 civil servants, thousands of nurses and rail workers and 1,000 bus drivers are set to go on strike in the run-up to Christmas.
Dozens of strikes are set to wreak havoc across the nation as part of union bosses’ plans to cause maximum disruption.
Thousands of nurses across Britain voted to strike for the first time, leading to fears that death rates will rise if the walkouts spread.
More than 750 workers who make Jacob’s Cream Crackers, Jaffa Cakes and Mini Cheddars will take part in the strike. Pictured: Jacob’s staff striking outside factory in October
The staff at Jacob’s Biscuits factory (pictured) in Aintree, Merseyside, are set to walk out ‘every single day until bosses agree to negotiate’
Strikes are expected to begin in early December and could take place over two dates, potentially a Tuesday and a Thursday. They could last until early May 2023.
Meanwhile some 3,500 Border Force, immigration and visa officers are threatening to strike over the holiday period, sparking agony for millions planning to travel home or abroad.
Postal deliveries will also face delays, as more than 115,000 workers plan walk outs. And to heap more misery on the nation, further rail chaos is planned for November, with Network Rail, London Overground and London Underground staff.
Union barons have repeatedly threatened to bring the nation to a standstill in what critics claimed was an attempt to force the first ‘general strike’ in nearly 100 years.
Nurses, civil servants of all kinds, train and bus drivers, postal workers and even Asda workers have either agreed to strike or are considering it.
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