More than 100 drivers at a Kingsmill bakery in West Bromwich have called off threatened strike action after accepting a revised pay offer and agreeing changes to shift patterns.

Unite said around 130 drivers, maintenance staff and security personnel at the depot, which supplies 1.5 million loaves a week to customers including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, have agreed a new pay package.

Unite lead officer for the food sector Joe Clarke said: “As part of the agreed deal with (parent company) ABF Grain Products, the exact terms won’t be disclosed.”

The drivers voted in 82% in favour of strike action at the end of last month before the new pay deal was agreed.

Clarke said the two-year pay rise, backdated to April 2017, is slightly more than 2.5% and includes a 2% increase for year two, starting in April 2018

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The deal also includes a further market rate payment adjustment of 0.5% and an additional 0.6 % payment for a 12 month voluntary arrangement for the working time derogation.

Clarke added: “This deal reflects a good outcome with an overall package which sees the desired improvements to rates of pay that we have been pushing for at Allied Bakeries Kingsmill West Bromwich.

“The industrial action has now been called off after the workforce voted overwhelmingly to accept the revised offer and our members are working normally.”

An Allied Bakeries spokeswoman said: “We’re pleased to confirm that we have reached an agreement on pay and conditions with the delivery drivers at our West Bromwich bakery. The deal is in line with that agreed across our other UK sites and is competitive in the local area.

“As part of this two-year agreement we have achieved an improvement in shift pattern flexibility which we believe works well for our employees and the company. Everyone at the West Bromwich bakery is now looking forward to getting back to business as usual.’’

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