McCain Foods today condemned the strike action by its food production and maintenance workers after rejecting a 3.5% pay increase a year over three years and other terms and conditions.

McCain Foods Integrated Supply Chain Director for APMEA, Mr. Graham Harvey said the maintenance union’s bargaining team and food production workers both rejected this pay increase.

“Considering the economic pressures in the food manufacturing sector the company is extremely disappointed at the rejection of this generous package by the unions”.

“McCain Foods has negotiated in good faith with the unions and agreed to the majority of their 56 claims but with little compromise from the unions,” he said.

“Regrettably, there may be protected industrial action on Wednesday, 5 October by the maintenance employees and the food production employees”.

“This will mean there may be further stand downs of production workers without pay on this day,” Mr. Harvey said.

Mr. Harvey said that the members of the AMWU Food Division rejected the pay increase at a meeting at 7 am, Tuesday October 4.