Pay dispute between workers and management at Hull's Greencore cake firm finally ends

A PAY dispute between workers and management at a cake firm in Hull has finally come to an end.

More than 500 workers at Greencore Cakes and Desserts in Amsterdam Road voted overwhelmingly to accept an offer from the company to reinstate their pay conditions.

The announcement comes after a dispute that has lasted more than six months and included a 24-hour walk-out in January.

Pete Ford, a site convenor at the union Unite, said: "I'm so proud of our members for the stand they took.

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"Because Unite refused to accept these attacks, our membership at the site has grown by more than 200, proving that workers want and need a union that gives strong leadership.

"We now hope we can move forward with a much more positive working relationship with management here in Hull."

More than 400 workers took part in the strike, which was the first to be held at the factory in Hull.

It hit production of cakes and desserts supplied to supermarkets including Sainsbury's, Asda and Tesco.

The agreement between the two parties was announced yesterday.

A spokesman for Greencore said: "Greencore can confirm that discussions with Unite regarding employee terms at the cakes and deserts production facility in Hull have now ended in an arrangement that is mutually satisfactory for the company and its employees.

"Greencore is pleased to be drawing a line under the process and it looks forward to continuing its good relationship with its colleagues at the facility."

A number of employees also flew to the firm's headquarters in Ireland as part of the protests.

Workers threatened last week to stage a 48-hour strike as their latest show of anger but management agreed to back down and reinstate pay rights.

Len McCluskey, general secretary at Unite, said: "Our members at Greencore have sent a clear message to management that they won't allow attacks on their terms and conditions and this is something that all employers should take note of.

"Unite will not tolerate any attacks on our members' pay anywhere, in what is already a very low-paid sector and we will give full support to any workers who fight back against greedy bosses."

Workers have been fighting to claw back pay after Greencore suspended their terms and conditions in October 2011.

Unite said some employees were losing up to £40 per week from their wages after the cuts.

According the union, Greencore, whose revenue rocketed by almost 45 per cent last year, was seeking to impose changes to terms and conditions and remove shift, overtime and bank holiday pay.