EMPLOYEES AT a Perthshire food factory are considering possible strike action over a dispute about wages and pensions.

Around 100 staff at Grampian Country Foods, Coupar Angus, which supplies poultry to supermarkets, will be balloted on the industrial action on Thursday.

This follows the breakdown of talks between the company and the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G).

The result of the ballot will be known next week.

The dispute has been simmering for over a year. Union members at the plant previously voted by three to one to take action against the company in September 2005, although they decided not to strike then.

Grampian Country Foods said it was disappointed the union had moved to possible strike action. A spokesman said that communication would continue between the two parties at local level.

“We are hopeful that a resolution will be found to prevent the threat of any industrial action,” he added.

The possible strike action will affect the 2000 people at the firm’s sites throughout the country.

Chris Kaufman, national secretary of the T&G, said his members were frustrated and disappointed at the present situation.

“We had gone out of our way to give the company an opportunity to reach agreement with us but they had brought nothing to the table,” he said last night.

“Grampian Country Foods had not even agreed a common pay settlement date, which would have cost them nothing.

“In the circumstances we had no option than to lift the four-week suspension of the ballot with immediate effect.”

He continued, “There is growing anger at a national policy of a pay freeze compounded by mixed messages from management.

“Further bitterness has now arisen by a letter to the workforce which spells out a plan to cut pension benefits by 10%.”

Grampian Country Foods has other depots in Scotland at Cambuslang and Fairview near Edinburgh.

It was established in 1980, with its first chicken processing business located at Banff employing 50 people.

The company now operates at 40 principle locations, employing 20,000 people throughout the UK, Thailand, Portugal and the Netherlands.