A long-running dispute over pay and conditions involving more than 500 workers at a food manufacturer in Wales has been resolved following the signing of an agreement between the company and the Unite union.
About 550 workers at US company Oscar Mayer in Wrexham had been involved in 200 strike days between September 2024 and April 2025.
Both the Unite union and the company said they were pleased with the agreement, with the union calling it a “tremendous victory”.
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Unite said the company had attempted to slash pay by up to £3,000 a year, by firing and rehiring them on inferior contracts.
The agreement saw 26 dismissed workers being reinstated and improvements made to holiday compensation, as part of the resolution.
Unite said it was the first time a formal recognition agreement had been made between Oscar Mayer and the union.
Oscar Mayer said it was “pleased that an agreement with Unite was reached” and said it would continue to “focus on a long-term sustainable business”.
Unite said the workers, many of whom speak English as a second language, were being threatened with dismissal without compensation if they refused to agree to the detrimental terms by signing new contracts. Some workers, who were Unite members, were dismissed because they had not fully understood the notice period deadlines to accept the changes, said the union.
Oscar Mayer is a US meat and cold cut producer and a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and supplies products to Tesco, Asda, Greggs, Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Co-op.
It is 85% owned by Pemberton Investments, whose investor clients, including local authority pension funds in the UK, were contacted by Unite to apply pressure on the firm.
Unite regional officer Jono Davies said: “I’m pleased Unite now has formal recognition with Oscar Mayer, focused on representing our members’ best interests and enhancing their terms and conditions. This recognition agreement marks a significant milestone – one that many of our members at Oscar Mayer have long awaited.”
Labour MP Steve Witherden, who helped the workers in their campaign, described it as one of the longest-running and largest casework matters he had worked on, and he was “personally relieved” at the outcome.
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