UK supermarkets are facing ready meal shortages as Oscar Mayer workers based in Wrexham are set strike over fire and rehire scheme that will leave them £2,000 a year worse off.

More than 550 workers at the company's Rowan Food site on Wrexham Industrial Estate voted by 98 per cent in a ballot with a 76 per cent turnout in favour of strike action.

They are angry at the company’s plans to remove some paid breaks, reduce other breaks and eradicate any enhanced payments and days off in lieu for working bank holidays, Unite the union has said. 

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Oscar Mayer is planning to fire and rehire the workers on new contracts if they do not voluntarily accept the changes, which will see their take home pay plummet, Unite said.

Fire and rehire would result in the workers, many of whom speak English as a second language, being dismissed without redundancy pay or compensation if they refuse to sign the new contracts, Unite said. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Oscar Mayers’ behaviour towards these already low paid workers is despicable. There is no justification whatsoever to slash their pay or for the threats of fire and rehire – an abhorrent practice that should be banned outright.

"Our members are absolutely right to strike and they have Unite’s unflinching support.”

Strikes will take place from September 12 to October 10. Industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved. the union said.

Oscar Mayer is one of the major ready meal manufacturers in the UK and supplies large quantities of its products to Tesco, ASDA, Greggs, Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and the Co-op.

Unite said it has repeatedly approached the company to find a resolution to the dispute to avoid industrial action, however the union said it has refused to engage in good faith negotiations and is now refusing to communicate with the union at all.

Unite regional officer Jono Davies said: “Strike action is the last resort and Unite’s door continues to remain open for talks with Oscar Mayer. Burying your head in the sand is not the solution to resolving this dispute.”