Turkey might well be off the Christmas list for many people across the UK as a meat inspector strike threatens the supply of the festive bird.
Inspectors voted two to one in favour of strike action in a row over cuts to overtime payments and the introduction of a ‘work anytime’ system, which could disrupt family life, Unison revealed.
The union, which represents 1,000 members of the Meat Hygiene Service – who inspect red meat, white meat and poultry plants across the UK – warned the action could seriously disrupt supplies to supermarkets in the crucial pre-Christmas period.
Unison national officer Simon Watson said: “This is a decisive vote for strike action and shows the strength of feeling of meat inspectors.
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“Unless the employers abandon their plans and get back around the table to negotiate a settlement, the industry could lose millions of pounds in lost meat production in the run-up to Christmas.”
