United Kingdom-2,000 Meat workers threaten to go on Strike.

UNITED KINGDOM-2,000 MEAT WORKRS THREATEN STRIKE ACTION.

The Dutch pork and poultry giant Vion, are having problems in the United Kingdom after the proposed laying off of hundreds of workers.

Vion bought out Grampian Foods in England, who were the nations largest poultry processors, and after the purchase of St Merryn Meats by Grampian became the largest suppliers of beef and lamb to Tesco supermarkets, who control 40% of the meat sold in the United Kingdom.

This all went well until Tesco changed suppliers for lamb and some of their beef, causing Grampian to close down some abattoirs in the west of England..

Vion a privately owned Dutch company, purchased Grampian for US$ 600 million last year before the demise of the sterling against the greenback.

The company announced plans to lay off 850 members of staff in January, from plants in the United Kingdom.

The trade unions are complaining that food sales are holding up well in the recession and demanding the staff not be laid off.

The management of Vion however, have explained that the loss of a very large contract have made the redundancies inevitable.

The company is of course going to have to restructure, in the event of a such a loss to turnover.

The unions and staff are meeting this week to take a vote on strike action..