WORKERS at Oscar Mayer have continued their strike action this week by taking the picket line across Wrexham city centre and beyond. 

More than 500 workers at the Oscar Mayer plant on Wrexham Industrial Estate are involved in ongoing strike action over the controversial fire and rehire scheme. 

Unite the union has said staff have been given an ultimatum that they are either fired, or sign new contracts that involve the removal of some paid breaks, and eradicate any enhanced payments and days off in lieu for working bank holidays.

The union has branded fire-and-rehire as "despicable", with strike action taking place from September 12 to October 10. Industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved, Unite 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.

This week, Oscar Mayer workers travelled to Manchester to protest against fire and rehire outside firms associated with the company.

The workers, who produce ready meals, protested outside Pemberton Asset Management, which owns Oscar Mayer, and the headquarters of the Co-Op, which is major client of the company.

In addition, workers have conducted demonstrations outside of Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and the Coop in Wrexham this week. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite will ensure that every organisation associated with Oscar Mayer, as well as the public who buy its produce, knows what the company is trying to do.

"Unite will not stop until Oscar Mayer reverses its abhorrent fire and rehire plans.”

Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Oscar Mayer, said: “In May 2024 we put a number of proposals to our colleagues in our Wrexham factory around changing some paid breaks to unpaid for weekly paid colleagues, and the removal of enhanced rates on bank holidays and the provision of time off in lieu for all colleagues.

"These proposals are not made lightly, but we believe are necessary to protect the long-term sustainability of our business and the jobs we provide in the local community. These changes would put us in line with most other businesses in our sector and similar businesses in the local area. 

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“The proposals have been subject to a full and proper consultation process with our colleagues, which is on-going, and we have engaged fully with Unite during this process. The fact that we have agreed to a number of alternative proposals put forward by colleagues underscores the fact that there has been effective dialogue throughout, and that consultation has been constructive."

They added: “We remain committed to an ongoing dialogue as we work to reach agreement with our colleagues.”

Oscar Mayer were approached for an updated comment as strike action continues.