BFAWU

The Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) is the largest independent Trade Union in the food sector in the British Isles. First established in 1847, we have over 175 years of experience in representing employees in the food sector, from production at factories through to sales at shops.

Our belief is that employees should feel secure and safe in their workplace and should be paid an equitable wage for the work that they do. We further believe that, by working together, workers have much greater ability to achieve better pay and conditions and to address injustices.

We are here to support our members if they should feel vulnerable; threatened; discriminated against; or generally persecuted in any way. We are also here to assist in obtaining compensation and justice for those who have been mistreated at work, or, indeed, may have been injured as a result of their employer’s negligence.

We are run by our members for our members, with a fully elected governing body who are answerable to our membership. 

New Campaign Campaigns

  • Tell fast food CEOs: Listen to your workers, Black Lives Matter
    Racism is systemic across our society. And it runs through the global fast food corporations making millions in profit by paying us poverty wages. Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) workers are disproportionately represented in the fast food workforce. In our industry people accept job offers quickly because we need security, only to find ourselves in low paid employment, being told we're replaceable. This is fertile ground for abuse and racism which further impacts workers and our families. Our fast food companies say that they believe in equality, that they are on the side of black people. But they also say we don't deserve a living wage. That we don't deserve stable hours, we don't deserve to be treated with respect and we don't deserve a union. A union is workers coming together to use our strength in numbers to change things we can't change alone - that is the only way we will stamp out racism across our society. We demand: 1) The right to refuse to serve rude customers, with a ban for racially abusive customers, and enforcement of zero tolerance policies by managers, including training for all managers in conflict management and how to recognise racism in the workplace. 2) £15 per hour, stable hours and a union - to lift us out of in-work poverty and give us a platform to have our voices heard. 3) The immediate release of the statistics of BAME workers in different roles across these businesses, including pay discrepancies: McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Taco Bell. Police killing black people is violence. Big rich fast food companies forcing poverty pay on us is violence too. Black Lives Matter. And black quality of life matters. That’s why we need to stand together to end racial and economic injustice. We need our entire communities, everyone who agrees with us, to show us solidarity. Help us send a message to our CEOs by signing this petition now.
    4,706 of 5,000 Signatures
    Created by BFAWU McStrike BAME Committee
  • Email Wetherspoons to demand they pay workers in full during coronavirus
    We are amongst the 40,000 staff at JD Wetherspoon who have been laid off after the chain closed its pubs in response to the coronavirus crisis. The government have pledged to cover 80% of wages for laid off workers, but Wetherspoons initially refused to cover the cost of our pay until the government money comes in, threatening us with a wait without pay as long as the end of April. Thanks to pressure from our union BFAWU, supporters online and allies in parliament, Wetherspoons have been forced into a partial U-turn. They’ve agreed to cover wages, though they haven’t given detail yet, and after their original penny pinching response, we want to see exactly what this means. On the rates Wetherspoons pay, we're already facing poverty pay in work - nobody can afford to have money put by for a crisis like this. If Wetherspoons only pay us the 80% of our wages that the government will guarantee, and without the usual bonuses we are paid, many of us will have no way to pay the rent, bills or support our families. Plenty of other companies in the sector are doing much better by their workers. Costa have already promised 8 weeks full pay to cover the gap. Wetherspoons have the cash and could afford to do the same. We want Tim Martin and JD Wetherspoon to : 1) Agree they will shoulder the extra 20% to make up the difference in wages from the 80% the government have pledged to cover. 2) Pay all bonuses that staff are due in full. Please help us and our union BFAWU to put public pressure on our employers to do right by the people who have built the firm's success. Send our boss Tim Martin an email now. ------ Are you a Wetherspoons worker? ------ 🗣️🗣️ *WETHERSPOONS WORKERS ASSEMBLE!* Want in? Join our WhatsApp group to be part of the national campaign of Wetherspoons workers fighting for everything we deserve: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Js8Ljta8fI6L1gUTX0l7Tt
    14,431 of 15,000 Signatures
    Created by BFAWU Wetherspoons branch
  • McDonald's: End harassment in your stores
    Whilst working at McDonald's, I suffered sexual harassment. When I sought help, I was fobbed off. McDonald’s closely monitors everything we do from how fast we prep orders to the type of lettuce we serve – it has the power and the responsibility to make sure all workers are protected from harassment on the job, but has failed to do so. They make billions in profit from our hard work, but you can’t put a price on our rights. Please, join our campaign and show McDonald's we are no longer facing this alone.
    5,188 of 6,000 Signatures
    Created by Christine H
  • Greencore: Guarantee full pay for your self-isolating workers!
    At Greencore Northampton, we make sandwiches and meals for Marks & Spencer. And last month, we became the site of one of the UK’s largest outbreaks of Covid-19. It has been a terrifying time, with over 300 staff testing positive for the virus and many being severely ill. Not only did we have to deal with illness and worry for the health of our loved ones, but for the hundreds forced to isolate, we saw a drastic drop in earnings to just £95 a week and huge financial uncertainty. This is because Greencore initially refused to pay more than the legal minimum of Statutory Sick Pay. After our union spoke up, they put in a temporary increase to 80% pay. But isolation pay goes back to just £95 a week from next month – though we know the pandemic will be with us for way longer than that. £95 a week simply isn’t enough to live on, and it will only make dealing with the outbreak harder as we go into the autumn and a possible second wave. We've all been living with financial hardship for months now in any case, as Greencore also refused to top up the government's 80% furlough pay. Many of us have effectively been paid below the minimum wage for our regular hours for months. We’re caught in the middle between wanting to do the right thing, follow government guidance and protect ourselves and our communities, and the fact that we simply can’t afford not to work. It’s not impossible to solve. Rival firm Greggs have agreed with the union, BFAWU, to pay isolating staff in full. They’ve put this into effect quickly, helping them close down an outbreak in Leeds before it could become severe. It kept their community safe and their staff’s livelihoods secure. If Greggs can do this then Greencore, with their healthy profit level, should be able to. Can you help us demand change from our bosses at Greencore? Through our union we’re demanding fair pay for all staff forced to isolate, now and into the future. Please add your voice by emailing Greencore now. If we can fix this at Greencore, we can also increase the pressure on bosses everywhere to do the decent thing by their staff if Covid-19 hits their workplaces. And we can reduce the number of serious outbreaks so that other workers don’t have to go through what we have.
    2,851 of 3,000 Signatures
    Created by BFAWU Greencore Northampton Branch
  • Tell Tim Martin to listen to his workers
    From the beginning, Tim Martin, Chairman of the company, showed a disregard to worker safety and put profit before people, endangering thousands. He claimed there was next to no transmission in his pubs and the lockdown wasn’t necessary, that his pubs were as essential as supermarkets. We are concerned for the safety of Wetherspoon associates, cleaners, team and shift leaders, and managers alike. We do not want to take the risk of returning to work when it is not safe. We find the safety measures suggested by the company inadequate to ensure our safety. We are not disposable. We are the ones pouring the pints, cleaning the floors and cooking the food. The company depends on us to make profits and keep the business running. Therefore, we make these demands to Tim Martin and John Hutson, Chairman and CEO of J. D. Wetherspoon. We hope that they will listen to our demands, work with us to transition into returning to work, putting our safety first. These demands are democratically decided by union members of BFAWU as part of the SpoonStrike campaign. Please share, and stay safe.
    1,882 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by Alex McIntyre