Five hundred jobs are at risk in Wisbech after Princes Food threatened to close its factory in the town and move production abroad. Ironically 2025 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Wisbech factory.
Chairman Angelo Mastrolia said that ongoing strike action by Unite could have a “hugely detrimental impact on the members it claims to represent, as well as our non-unionised colleagues across the UK”.
Mr Mastrolia warned that should Unite confirm further strikes planned for February then it put the company in an invidious position.
Firstly, he warned, Princes would withdraw a 3 per cent pay offer.
“Furthermore, we will be compelled to transfer part of our branded production to other facilities, including those abroad, and if the strike action continues, this will likely become a necessary choice for the future, which could mean a need to reduce jobs at our UK sites,” he said.
“This is a very real risk, which benefits neither the workers nor the company.”
Unite has condemned what it calls the “the union-busting approach of Princes Foods”.
The union says workers at Princes Food sites across the UK have been taking industrial action after the new owners, Italian conglomerate Newlat, “refused to honour a pay rise that had been negotiated with previous owners, Mitsubishi.
“Today (23 Jan), the chairman, Angelo Mastrolia, announced that in response to the prospect of further industrial action in February, his company will transfer the production of much-loved British foods like Branston beans and Crosse & Blackwell to overseas facilities in retribution.
“This would also come with the threat of hundreds of job losses for those workers at sites in Cardiff, Lincolnshire, Glasgow, Bradford and Wisbech”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “If Princes thinks its threats will weaken workers’ resolve it has another thing coming. This is appalling behaviour from a shameful company. First it pulled the rug from under our members by reneging on a pay deal and now it is threatening their jobs with these union-busting tactics.
“Unite won’t stand for such tactics and will be backing our members every step of the way in their dispute.”
Ms Graham said her union has not had a single face-to-face meeting with Princes since the new owners came in.
She claimed the “new offer” was not above inflation at the time the offer was given nor across the year as whole
Unite national food officer Paul Travers added: “The bullying tactics of Princes and its chairman are disgusting.
“The communities in which it operates and the customers who buy their products should know what sort of company they are – one who goes back on promised pay, spreads lies about their actions and now threatens their jobs by moving overseas.
Unite and our members won’t tolerate such bullying behaviour and will instead be upping our campaign for a fair day’s pay.”
Unite says its members who work as line operatives and engineers had been offered between a 4-7 per cent pay rise dependent on salary by the previous owner, Mitsubishi.
“The company was subsequently bought by Newlat S.p.A who withdrew that offer. Instead, they are offering just a three per cent pay rise,” said a Unite spokesperson
Princes says it has settled a pay dispute with GMB Union but negotiations with Unite the Union – whose members have staged strikes at Wisbech and Long Sutton – have ceased.
“Princes is pleased to announce that it has reached a mutual agreement with the GMB Union for a 3% pay increase for members across a number of its UK sites,” said a company spokesperson.
“Pay negotiation talks with Unite the Union, relating to staff across a number of other UK sites, have ceased.”
Mr Mastrolia added: “I am grateful to the GMB Union for their constructive approach to the negotiations and their understanding of the wider economic challenges faced by the business. We remain committed to resolving the remaining disputes at other locations as soon as possible.”
His spokesperson said Princes has also been engaged in pay negotiations with Unite for several months, offering an above-inflation 3% pay increase.
“This follows pay increases over the past five years: 8% in 2023, 7% in 2022, and 2.5% in 2021, along with a one-off cost of living payment of 4.1% in 2022,” said the spokesperson.
“All these were above inflation. Princes has also offered to back pay the 3% pay raise for 2024 to its employees whilst the dispute continues, which Unite has refused. As a result, both parties have registered a failure to agree and therefore talks have ceased.
“While ongoing Unite action is disruptive to sites, Princes reassures their customers and consumers there is no risk to shortages of its products and that all affected sites have contingency plans in place.”
Princes says it sites at Wisbech and Long Sutton sites collectively produce more than a billion cans of branded and customer own brand food a year.
One of the brands they produce in Wisbech is the household brand Crosse & Blackwell. Its range includes soups, children’s meals, vegetables and cooking sauces
