A PLANNED strike at one of the north's main bakeries will no longer go ahead after staff accepted a new pay offer.
Staff at the Hovis factory in south Belfast were set to take to picket lines last Sunday in a strike over salary, but the action was put on hold following a last-minute pay offer.
Workers had demanded a 13.4 per cent wage increase, and the new deal provides a 13.5 per cent rise over two years.
The strike plans had led to concern over bread supplies, with Hovis estimated to produce a significant percentage of all bread sold in the north.
The company, which owns the iconic Ormo bread brand, previously saw staff strike over pay for 11 days at the Apollo Road site in 2021, ending when an offer of an 8% increase was accepted.
The Unite union said the bread manufacturer had enjoyed "huge success" during the Covid pandemic, while workers continued to struggle with the ongoing cost of living crisis.
A ballot saw 95 percent of union workers at Hovis back the latest planned strike action, which was averted when the new offer was made last week.
Union members backed accepting the deal by a margin of three-to-one.
Unite regional offer for the workforce, Sean McKeever, described the deal as a "huge win for our members".
"This success occurs after a number of years of successful outcomes to pay disputes at Hovis which has lifted pay at this employer substantially over the period," he said.
"All other employers in this sector now need to take note and bring forward pay deals that deliver real improvements for their employees."
Hovis was contacted for comment.
