More than 1,800 workers at Bidfood are set to vote on whether the company should allow unions GMB and Unite to negotiate on pay, terms and conditions.
Previously, GMB and Unite were recognised trade unions for the foodservice provider for more than 30 years.
However in January, Bidfood terminated its collective bargaining unit (CBU) agreements, by which a group of employees who are union members are able to negotiate with management on behalf of the union. GMB claimed that this happened “with immediate effect” and “without the standard notice period”.
A Bidfood spokesperson told The Grocer it had ended the CBU as, in recent years, it “was not reflective or representative of the interests of the majority of our employees working in our transport and warehouse teams”.
They added: “We have not seen any further evidence that changes our view on this.”
However, workers will now have the opportunity to vote GMB and Unite back in, following a decision by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to accept the unions’ joint application for recognition.
GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “GMB members work hard delivering vital food supplies for the army, prisons, schools and high street restaurants across the UK. Bidfood bosses didn't think these hard-working colleagues deserved a say on who and how they are represented at work – a basic right in any democracy.
“Now the workers have taken matters back into their own hands and organised enough support to win a legally binding ballot on recognition. They won't be dictated to and finally get the chance to decide for themselves.”
The Bidfood spokesperson explained: “We respect our employees’ right to choose whether they wish to be represented by a union, which is why we will fully support a fair and transparent vote. Regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to open, honest and direct communication and to ensuring our people’s voices are heard.
“We firmly believe the best way to engage with our teams is by listening to them directly, not via third parties. We’re proud of the progress made through our local and regional engagement forums, as well as our newer National Wholesale Employee Council and National Health and Safety Council. These groups, made up of volunteers from across our operations, ensure broad representation from all sites."
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