More than 750 workers at Jacob’s cracker and biscuit factory in Liverpool stage indefinite walkout in pay dispute. Tony McDonough reports

Workers at the Jacob’s cracker and biscuit factory in Liverpool have now walked out indefinitely in a dispute over pay, under leaders say.

On Monday the GMB union said more than 750 employees at the plant in Aintree will stay out until the row is resolved. They have been taking limited industrial action since September.

Jacob’s makes Cream Crackers, Club biscuits, Twiglets, Jaffa Cakes cake bars, Mini Cheddars and Cracker Crisps at the factory. On September 26 staff began action that stopped short of an overall walkout.

Monday factory staff, who make 14,000 tons of Jacobs Cream Crackers every year, will walk out every single day until bosses agree to negotiate.

On Sunday, the Company announced they were shifting production of Jacobs Cream Crackers to Portugal.

Eamon O’Hearn, GMB national officer, said: “These workers are rightly angry – they put themselves on the line to keep the company going during the pandemic.

“Now they need some help to get them through the cost of living crisis. But it’s falling on deaf ears. In fact, more than that, bosses are shifting an iconic British brand to Portugal to undermine their own workers.

“This kind of naked corporate greed in the run up to Christmas is disgraceful. Jacob’s workers will now be on strike 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the company comes back to the negotiating table.”

Turkish group Yildiz is the owner of Jacob’s. It is run by a division of the business called Pladis, whose other brands include McVitie’s Biscuits.

In a statement Pladis told LBN: “We regret that the GMB has decided to take this course of action, despite all of the efforts we have made to reach an agreement with the union.

”However, we want to reiterate that our door remains open to the GMB for further discussions with their representatives.”