Pay strike action intensifies in Drax canteens amid union health claims

Workers at Drax’s North Yorkshire site began strike action in early December over what Unite has described as “poverty pay” and a lack of union recognition. The union has now said that on returning to work after the initial strikes, workers found unsanitary conditions which posed a “health hazard”.

Since the first strikes in December, BaxterStorey has agreed to negotiate a voluntary recognition agreement and enter pay talks.

A spokesperson for BaxterStorey said that since the start of the year, it had met with Unite and agreed to the two requests which had led to earlier strike action. The firm claims that Unite made three last-minute demands which were not agreed upon, leading to last week’s strike action.

The workers began their most recent round of industrial action on Monday, 8 January, and continued until Sunday, 14 January. A further 14 days of strikes are set to begin on Monday, 22 January. Unite said the industrial action would intensify further if the dispute is not resolved.

The union said that BaxterStorey had made an offer of a one-off payment of £380, which the workers had rejected as “completely inadequate”.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham accused BaxterStorey of “corporate greed”, adding: “BaxterStorey is rolling in profits but is refusing its hard-working Drax canteen staff a fair pay rise.”

A spokesperson for BaxterStorey said: “We liaised with all our employees on pay demands at the end of 2023 and agreed to bring the Living Wage pay increase forward to January, which has gone ahead as planned.

“BaxterStorey has invested in all our team members with a new benefits package focused on wellbeing and family, and we are proud of the reputation we hold as an employer in the hospitality industry.”

According to Unite, when staff returned to work after two weeks of strike action in December, they discovered unsanitary conditions including mould in hot drinks machines and food that had passed its expiry date left in fridges.

Unite said that staff also discovered food items and sauces which did not have the required labels attached and serving dishes which had been left “covered in grime”.

Baxter Storey claimed that food services would run as normal during industrial action, according to Unite.

A Drax spokesperson said the firm was not aware of any breaches of hygiene or food safety during the period.

Unite regional officer, Chris Rawlinson, said: “Food services at Drax are now at risk of becoming a health hazard. Our members’ demands are entirely reasonable and would hardly dent the company’s coffers. BaxterStorey needs to come back with a better pay offer.”

A Drax spokesperson said: “This dispute is between BaxterStorey and its contractors, with no Drax employees involved in the strike. The power station and its catering facilities continue to operate, but we hope a resolution to the industrial action is found soon.”