Oct 24th, 2022
2 mins
Food Standards Agency (FSA) staff are currently being balloted for strike action over pay, which, as UNISON warns, could mean that meat supplies over the festive period are affected.
The ballot opened on 10th October and closes on 31st October and involves several hundred inspectors, vets, and office-based staff in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Earlier in the year, FSA staff voted to reject a pay offer of between 2% and 5% as according to UNISON “this is significantly lower than inflation – currently 9.9% – and falls short of the 10% pay claim put forward by the union”.
Citing the difficult and unpleasant conditions many such FSA staff must work in, UNISON has called for the FSA to “come up with a significantly higher offer to avoid any disruption.”
If the strike does go ahead there is no doubt that it will cause major disruption to what is already a stressed supply chain. With vet capacity already under question and the prospect of serious animal welfare issues, one can only hope a swift resolution is agreed.
You can read more here
