Wrexham Councillors condemn fire and rehire food manufacturer

Wrexham Council has shown solidarity with workers on strike at food manufacturer Oscar Mayer, and backed their campaign against the producers planned fire and rehire policy.

Around 600 Oscar Mayer workers, the vast majority of the factory’s workforce, have been striking since September over the company’s plans to fire and rehire them to slash pay by up to £3,000 a year.

Oscar Mayer supplies major UK supermarkets and Unite has been taking the fight across the country to highlight the way workers are being treated by the employer.

This Wednesday (December 18), at a full Wrexham Council meeting, councillor Marc Jones proposed a motion stating that the council formally disagreed with the actions of Oscar Mayer, and supported the striking workers.

The motion stated: “This council disagrees with the actions taken by management at local employer Oscar Mayer to reduce wages for workers in Wrexham and ‘fire and rehire’ those who refuse to comply.

“This council resolves to:

When introducing the motion Councillor Jones, Plaid Cymru group leader, said: “This dispute goes to the heart of what sort of Wrexham we want.”

“Do we want it to be a place of decent wages, good working conditions and a motivated workforce? Do we want it to be a forward-looking area for employment?

“Or do we want to see it characterised by a 19th century approach to worker-boss relations, where anyone who disagrees with the employer can be fired and then rehired on worse pay and conditions?”

Councillor Jones told the meeting that hundred of workers at the factory had made sure the whole of Wrexham knows about the strike and the Unite campaign, and that though “Oscar Mayer is an important employer in the area but that doesn’t mean it can ride roughshod over its workforce and reduce their incomes.”

He said he wants the council to recognise workers’ desire to maintain their wages and working conditions.

Wrexham Councils Labour group fully supported the motion, and highlighted the Unite campaign around pension funds. 

In November the Clwyd Pension Group (CPG) voted to instruct the Welsh Pension Partnership, which includes the pension fund for Wrexham, to stop any further investment into Pemberton Asset  Management, Oscar Mayer’s majority shareholder, whilst industrial action is ongoing.

Labour councillor Anthony Wedlake sits on the CPG Committee, and said, “What we’re seeing at Oscar Mayer is the worst type of big business. Pemberton Asset Management buy an organisation and then try and improve the returns on that business by driving down the living standards of their workers rather than driving up the profitability and productivity of the company.

“Solidarity with the workers of Oscar Mayer.”

Unite Organiser Leigh Williams welcomed the Council motion, and said, “The members at Oscar Mayer are very happy with the result of the motion yesterday.” 

“The motion means that the council locally will now not engage in any activities that include Oscar Mayer such as jobs fairs and business conferences. Also the motion is asking Welsh Pension Partnership Fund not to invest any more monies into the parent company of Oscar Mayer Pemberton Asset Management.”

 “Unite members have been campaigning locally for the last 12 weeks in the City Centre to raise awareness of their plight and the treatment they face as low paid workers at Oscar Mayer.”

“The motion being passed and having the full support and solidarity of the council will give our members the confidence to carry on the fight against Oscar Mayer and Pemberton Asset Management.”

Workers have been taking action since September and extended the strike last month. 

By Keith Hatch