Police called to wildcat strike at West Midlands factory

Sep 2 2009 by Chris Henwood, Birmingham Mail

POLICE were called to a Smethwick factory today after a wildcat strike began after a shop steward was allegedly suspended.

They went to the 2 Sisters Food Group plant, in Smethwick, this morning after employees stopped working at the chicken product facility. It was not immediately clear why they were there but a source said they had been called.

He added that the strike was not an official union move, but it had been called by angry workers after the suspension of a Unite shop steward yesterday.

He said about 300 workers were involved and were inside the Alpha Business Park factory.

It is believed that the suspension came after a series of disputes between the union and the company, which has its head office in Dial Lane, West Bromwich.

Company spokesman Peter King confirmed the strike had taken place among a “small proportion of the workforce”, but didn’t say what had sparked the industrial action.

“It’s business as usual,” he added.

According to its website, 2 Sisters Food Group is a major European food company supplying chicken products to the retail, food service and food manufacturing sectors.

No one from West Midlands Police was available for comment.