NW London Workers Demonstrate on May Day
over Health and Safety

GMB Press Release

GMB members, some of whom have been injured at the Bakkavor plant in northwest London, step up campaign for improved health & safety at site

GMB members employed by Marks & Spencers supplier, Bakkavor will stage a May Day demonstration outside Marks & Spencers Head Office following its failure and that of its supplier to take action on a health and safety warning issued last month by GMB.

Last month, GMB warned of the danger of a serious accident at the Bakkavor hummus plant in north westLondonfollowing production line changes after the salmonella problems at the plant in February. The production line re-organisation gave rise to the requirement to boil tahini oil and led to highly dangerous congestion at the hummus plant on the Cumberland Roadsite Park Royal.

The demonstration/photo call will take place at:

11 A.M.

TUESDAY 1ST MAY 2007 outside

MARKS AND SPENCER GROUP PLC

WATERSIDE HOUSE

35 NORTH WHARF ROAD

LONDON

W2 1NW

The demonstrators will have the GMB national banner together with placards and flags.

The north west London Bakavvor site has a poor health and safety record and the company refuses to recognise GMB to represent the 2,500 mainly migrant workers. See note 1.

Tahir Bhatti GMB Organiser- representing members at Bakkavor Park Royal said,”Bakkavor managers are putting production for the High Street supermarkets ahead of their legal duty to protect the health and safety of their workers. They have a poor track record on health and safety on that site. GMB has warned them before to stop cutting corners and putting our members at risk. Several union members have been badly injured and disabled by machines on the site.

GMB members working on the site consider that there is not enough space on the Cumberland site, as currently organized, to accommodate all the plant and machinery and workers needed there to double production after transferring production from Abbeydale Roadsite. While the requirement to boil the tahini may be necessary for reasons of food hygiene there are health and safety laws that also need to be adhered to.

Last month GMB called on Bakkavor to conduct an immediate risk assessment to prevent serious injury to workers in this plant. GMB calls on HSE to inspect the plant. GMB is asking the major supermarket chains to step in as well. No action has been taken by any of the above. In fact the management plan to start four new production lines in the Cumberland Roadsite. This demonstration by GMB members outside Marks & Spencers’ head office is the first of a series of demonstrations that will take place outside their head office until action is taken on the warning from GMB members in that plant who fear for their safety.”

-Ends-

Contact: Tahir Bhatti on 07974 249 744, Steve Pryle, GMB Press Officer on 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy, GMB Press Officer on 07974 251823

Notes to Editors

1          Bakkavor management are refusing to recognize the union to bargain for these workers or to look after their Health and Safety. The management has actively taken steps to discourage workers joining the union. They are promoting a management appointed staff body as an alternative to an independent union. The company has refused to allow the union an input to improve the dreadful health and safety regime in what is a very dangerous working environment with very fast machines and lines. Several union members have been badly injured and disabled by these machines. Park Royal sites have had eight Health and Safety improvement notices and three prohibition notices issued against them in the recent past by HSE- the worst record of any food production company GMB has ever dealt with.

80% of the workforce at Katsouris is paid the national minimum rate of £5.35 per hour. Those with families have to rely on the taxpayer to fund family tax credits to make ends meet. By contract at the Bakkavor acquired Katy’s Kitchens - nearby in North West London – the lowest grade workers organized and represented by GMB are paid £6.21 per hour i.e.16% higher while the skilled workers are on hourly rates which are 31% higher. The Company is highly profitable. In 2005 there were gross profits of £209m on a turnover in excess of £1 billion.

2          Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is a major ingredient in hummus and other dishes from Middle East The concerns last month about salmonella in hummus supplied to Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose  from the Bakkavor plants in North West London resulted in the return of a half a million tubs of hummus from retailers and production being  halted until the cause of the problem was identified. It was thought at the time that the problem originated from the tahini oil used to make hummus.

3          When production resumed recently there were two major changes. Manufacturing for Tesco was moved from Abbeydale Roadsite to the Cumberland Roadsite thereby doubling production on this site. The new manufacturing process required the workers to boil the tahini oil in two very large pans, cool it and repack it. The workforce in the hummus department in Cumberland Roadincreased by up to 150%. The plant is running 16 to 17 hours per day seven days per week.

This reorganization of the hummus production process has taken place in too small a space. There are now serious hazards as a result of congestion of plant and workers as well as hazards resulting from boiling oil and issues to do with ventilation. GMB members working in this department are seriously concerned about the risks of serious injuries that could result from an accident. There are dangers of workers slipping or tripping on greasy floors, and dangers of workers being seriously scalded by boiling oil and the hazards of having too much plant and machinery and too many workers in too small a space. GMB members consider that the company have not taken advice from independent experts and have not done the risk assessments required by law.