Hull workers have joined hundreds of colleagues in a strike over pay at a leading Yorkshire food business.
Employees at Karro Foods, in Malton, have taken part in a two-day protest outside the North Yorkshire firm.
Hull Live was told staff at the factory asked for a pay rise equivalent to around 50p per hour, and when this was rejected, went on strike.
Karro Foods is a leading producer of bacon, gammon, sausages and cooked meats, and employs around 3,000 people across the country.
The business said it was “disappointed” by the strike action, which it says is not recognised by a union, and said talks were planned for next week surrounding pay.
A Karro spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that some of our employees in Malton have chosen to take strike action not recognised by USDAW in relation to ongoing pay discussions.
“Karro is operating in a challenging marketplace and we’re working hard to ensure our business remains fit for the future, for the benefit of all colleagues.
“We have updated our Malton site that we will continue to consult with our recognized trade union USDAW and to take inputs for these discussions from across the site, ahead of our planned pay talks meeting with USDAW next week, as we work to find solutions through the agreed process.
“We have contingency plans in place to support business as usual for our customers at this time.”
The company has just been joined by Grimsby's Young's Seafood in an enlarged group after owner Capvest swooped for the leading processor.
Hull Live has been told staff asked for a pay rise when they learned a rival business was offering its workers more money for the same job.
It has also been told hundreds of workers at Karro live in Hull, and travel up to Malton every day for work.
Many are understood to be involved in the strike.
A man, whose dad lives in Hull and works at Karro Foods, said: “Around three or four hundred people are striking outside the factory.
“Basically staff want a pay rise. They work very hard and they want equal pay.
“They have been striking throughout Monday and Tuesday, but Karro has told workers they must return to work on Wednesday."
“My dad has been working at the company for around eight years. He gets up early in the morning and picks other people up who live in Hull, and they drive there together.”
Karro processes around 45,000 pigs every week, and delivers to the UK’s major supermarkets.
Its pork products are eaten by millions of people every year, and is also stocked across the country by leading retailers.
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