Staff at Hula Hoops maker KP Snacks in Leicestershire vote 'overwhelmingly' to strike over pay

Staff at KP Snacks in Ashby have voted "overwhelmingly" for strike action in a dispute over pay. Members of the Usdaw union will walk out on Monday, December 9, if negotiations do not begin again, a spokesperson for the union said. It comes after staff were made a final offer of 6.5 per cent by the company.

The formal ballot resulted in a nearly 80 per cent vote in favour. Ed Leach, the Usdaw area organiser, said: “This overwhelming result clearly demonstrates the strength of feeling among our members and we urge management to immediately come back to the table to negotiate a fair pay deal and avoid disruption to the business in the busy pre-Christmas period.

“The 2024/25 pay negotiations have so far failed to reach a satisfactory outcome. The company’s offer of 6.5 per cent fails to adequately address the narrowing of the gap between the value of the National Living Wage and the consolidated rates of pay at the site.

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"We regret that the company has flatly refused to increase the offer and we urge them to change their stance.”

Usdaw - the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers - is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.

The industrial action ballot was carried out by Civica Election Services on behalf of Usdaw. The results were 79.52 per cent in favour of strike action, with a 73.67 per cent turnout.

LeicestershireLive has attempted to contact KP Snacks for a response. The company also makes Skips, Space Raiders, Pom-Bear, Butterkist and other household-name brands.