Hundreds of Dronfield bakery staff on strike

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-33132296

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Hundreds of workers at a bakery that supplies food to leading high street stores have gone on strike in a dispute over pay.

Staff at Gunstones Bakery in Dronfield near Sheffield are taking part in the first of two 48-hour strikes.

Many of the 700-strong workforce at the site on Stubley Lane, Dronfield, are members of the bakers' union.

Gunstones said it was in talks with union representatives and wanted to minimise the impact of the strike.

John Higgins, of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU), said: "We're talking about people on the lower end of the pay scale and yet (the company) want to start negotiating to take away some of the terms and conditions such as shift payments, overtime payments.

"These are the things that actually make it feasible for people to live from January to December."

In a statement Gunstones, which is part of the 2 Sisters Food Group, said: "We are keen to continue meaningful talks with colleagues and their union representatives so that we can reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

"We will work with our customers to create contingency plans which will minimise the effects of action."