Bidfood increases offer to its lowest-paid workers

Further to the threat of strike action by some of Bidfood’s warehouse workers over a pay row, the wholesaler has increased its offer for its lowest-paid employees.

The Unite and GMB unions had previously rejected Bidfood’s £12.50 per hour pay offer and were preparing options for a jointly coordinated industrial action ballot.

However, Bidfood has now issued a revised pay offer to the two trade unions.

“The new offer addresses the issue of the lowest rate of pay across 10 depots and for the majority of cleaners and some PI [perpetual inventory] operatives,” said a GMB spokesperson. “For the rest of our members, the offer remains as it was, a 50p per hour increase.”

The revised element of the offer takes the lowest rate of pay, currently £12 per hour, to £12.70 per hour, representing an increase of nearly 6%.

This offer impacts warehouse workers at the following depots: Bradford, Edinburgh, Gateshead, Glasgow, Inverness, Larbert, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Oban, Penrith, Wakefield, Wolverhampton, Worthing.

In addition, PI operatives working out of the following depots will receive the uplift to £12.70 per hour: Birmingham, Bradford, Gateshead, Lee Mill, Liverpool, Manchester, Penrith, Salisbury, Wakefield, Wolverhampton, Worthing.

GMB is recommending acceptance of the offer, and its ballot will run from 4-15 November.