2 Sisters factory staff in Scunthorpe 'could lose 2k a year' in overtime shake-up

Employees at a Scunthorpe chicken factory that employs at least 850 staff are involved in contract talks that they claim could see them lose £2,000 a year each in pay.

Union representatives are continuing to work with their members at 2 Sisters over proposed contractual changes.

Usdaw, the union representing workers at 2 Sisters, has challenged changes to over-time rates and payment methods.

The changes include over-time pay being reduced from double time to time-and-a-half on Sundays, and time-and-a-half to time-and-a-quarter on Saturdays.

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The factory employs at least 850 staff as well as agency workers, union officials say.

A worker at 2 Sisters in Scunthorpe, who wished to remain anonymous, said these changes could mean a lot of workers could be looking at losing £2,000 a year.

The worker said: "We had a meeting and they told us what was going to happen.

"I asked 'why is it happening?' and they said 'this is the way the company has to run'.

"They want 100 per cent of people to sign the contract and we have until October 2 to decide if we want to sign."

Usdaw's divisional officer, Joanne Thomas, said: "Workers at the site face changes to their contracts which the union considers unreasonable.

"We continue to seek on-going talks to find a workable solution to the difficulties faced by the company and believe consultation is the best way forward."

A spokeswoman for 2 Sisters said: "We have entered into a formal 90 days consultation process with the employees at our site in Scunthorpe with regards to making proposed changes to terms and conditions. These proposals are necessary as the business continues to trade in difficult market and economic conditions.

"We will continue working with our union representatives towards what we hope will be an agreeable outcome."