ABN mill workers call off strike after 13% pay offer

Threatened strike action by 150 workers at ABN feed mills during April has been called off, following an agreement between trade union Unite and the parent company AB Agri.

The workers had voted to start their action on Saturday 1 April following their rejection of a 4.5% pay offer which, they said at the time, amounted to a significant real-terms pay cut in the face of 13.4% inflation.

See also: Report seeks fairness for farmers in food supply chain

But a revised offer, worth 13% over a two-year period, has been accepted, averting the disruption that would otherwise have been felt in the pig and poultry feed markets.

Under the deal, the workers will receive a 4.5% pay rise backdated to 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, plus an additional day’s annual leave.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the deal also contains an agreement to allow union recognition across AB Agri’s mills, located in Suffolk, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Fife, Devon, Lincolnshire and East and North Yorkshire.

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.”

An ABN spokesperson said the company was committed to being an employer of choice, “aiming to attract and retain employees by offering competitive packages.

“We had a productive conversation with Unite on Tuesday (28 March) and agreed a way forward for all parties. We look forward to continuing to work with them.”