Members of the union Unite at Cadbury’s sites in Bournville, Birmingham, Chirk, Wales and Marlebrook in Hereford recorded an 80 per cent vote in favour of the deal

Employees at Cadbury’s have a new two-year contract that includes a 17.5% pay increase and a 25% increase in holiday pay.

At Cadbury’s facilities in Bournville, Birmingham, Chirk, Wales, and Marlebrook, Hereford, union members of Unite cast 80% of their votes in favor of the agreement.

The agreement entitles employees to a pay increase of up to 17.5% over the course of two years, including bonuses.

“Where employers can clearly afford to raise pay, we are determined to ensure that they do,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham. Once more, Unite’s commitment to enhancing jobs, pay, and working conditions is paying off for our members.

“This deal was made possible by the hard work, commitment, and support of Unite members and our representatives at Cadbury.”

The victory will undoubtedly be seen as a significant win for Ms. Graham, who has spent 20 years working for Unite.

After working for Unite for 20 years—first at the Transport and General Workers’ Union before Unite was formed—Ms. Graham was promoted to executive officer and now oversees the organization’s organizing, or “leverage,” department.

It has been referred to as Unite’s industrial action wing and has been credited with 15 significant victories by employing strategies and tactics that go far beyond the conventional strike action strategy.

Ms. Graham claimed that during the “fire and rehire” dispute with British Airways last year, she was able to obtain concessions by having MPs support motions opposing the airline’s strategies and by personally meeting with IAG executives in their Europe headquarters to inform them that they were about to lose Heathrow landing slots.

After establishing a hotline for the company’s employees, Ms. Graham is now in charge of a campaign against Amazon for union recognition.

These employees require a union to protect their rights, she remarked.

She has also led campaigns against illegal business closures, the victimization of union officials, and the protection of national wage bargaining.

‘Unite negotiated this deal over three months with Cadbury and it sets the bar for the rest of the food manufacturing industry, which is operating very strongly,’ said Joe Clarke, Unite’s national officer for food and drink.

“Unite will bargain for our members in those workplaces to also receive raises that take into account the rising cost of living and high profits of their employers in the coming months,” the statement reads.