Striking staff could mean a shortage of Jammie Dodgers!

Biscuit fans beware, if either Jamie Dodgers or Wagon Wheels are amongst your favourites, the followings news may be distressing.

Production of Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels could be stopped this month as factory workers plan to go on strike, with the subsequent disruption potentially leading to empty shelves as supermarket supplies dry up.

The workers, employed by Burton’s Biscuits, are planning to go on strike over an insulting 1.6% annual pay rise offer. Represented by the trade union GMB union, the workers demanded a 7% pay rise, and after this was refused, the union is now organising an overtime ban as well as three days of strikes.

The factory, which produces over 7 million biscuits a day, has said that their offer of 1.6% was fair considering the economic uncertainty, looming depression, and high levels of unemployment.

The factory also added that the union’s demands could be detrimental, and that such a wage increase may even lead to less job security for the 400+ workers.

THINK LIKE AN ECONOMIST!

Q1. What is meant by the term trade union?

Q2. Explain one aim of a trade union.

Q3. Analyse the impact that GMB Union’s actions are likely to have on wages and employment at this biscuit factory.

Click here for the source article

TheCuriousEconomist

Recent Posts

Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability

Luxembourg has introduced a new solar subsidy scheme designed to accelerate the transition to renewable…

2 months ago

China Posts Record Trade Surplus Despite Tariffs

China ended 2025 with the largest trade surplus ever recorded, underscoring how resilient its export-led…

2 months ago

Mexico Imposes 156% Sugar Import Tariff to Protect Domestic Producers

Mexico has announced a 156% tariff on imported sugar, a major protectionist move aimed at…

4 months ago

Freeze the Rent: Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Bet on Price Controls — An Economist’s Dream or Nightmare?

New York City has a new mayor, and his signature promise fits on a protest…

4 months ago

Philippines Introduces Rice Import Quota to Balance Farmer Protection and Food Security

The Philippines has announced that it will reopen rice imports in January 2026, allowing 300,000…

4 months ago

McDonald’s Battles a Split Market: Value Meals, Profit Margins, and a Tale of Two Consumers

McDonald’s latest quarterly results reveal how even one of the world’s most iconic brands is…

4 months ago