By Julian Whittle

Last updated at 14:26, Thursday, 05 July 2012

Talks were due to take place today in an attempt to avoid industrial action at the Carlisle ready-meals producer Cavaghan & Gray.

2 Sisters Food Group recently bought the firm, which is a supplier to Marks & Spencer.

It wants 800 permanent staff to accept changes to over-time rates, sick-pay arrangements, redundancy terms and bank-holiday working.

They rejected the proposals by two to one.

Their union, Usdaw, held mass meetings at Harraby Catholic Club this week to gauge opinions.

Area organiser Jayne Shotton said: “People are really, really angry that the new owner is doing this. They can’t see any justification for it – the site is in profit.”

“These are conditions fought for over the years.”

She added: “Industrial action is an option. It’s not something we have ruled out but we are trying to avoid it.”

The meetings agreed a compromise package to put to the company today.

This would maintain the over-time rate but see a cut in bank-holiday pay, albeit not by as much as 2 Sisters wanted.

First published at 11:25, Thursday, 05 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk