FOOD delivery workers for the army, prisons, schools and high street restaurants have been granted the right to vote for a union voice.

The Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has accepted Unite and GMB’s joint application for recognition at Bidfood, which deliver food for Manchester United, Five Guys and Subway.

More than 1,800 staff will now vote on whether it must allow the unions to negotiate on pay, terms and conditions.

Unite and GMB had been recognised trade unions for Bidfood for more than 30 years until Bidfood bosses “ripped up the deal with immediate effect, without the standard notice period” in January, said a GMB spokesman.

GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “Workers have taken matters back into their own hands and organised enough support to win a legally binding ballot on recognition.  

“They won’t be dictated to and finally get the chance to decide for themselves.”

A stament from Bidfood provided to the Star said: “We can confirm that GMB and Unite have submitted a formal application to the CAC (Central Arbitration Committee) for statutory union recognition on behalf of transport employees at 3663 Transport Limited. 

"The CAC has decided that the unions’ application meets the threshold to be considered for a formal vote. We await confirmation on the next steps from the CAC, however, we understand that this decision does not mean that the request for statutory recognition has been accepted and the CAC may call for an independent ballot.

“Bidfood ended the voluntary collective bargaining unit (CBU) in January because we had found that in recent years that it was not reflective or representative of the interests of the majority of our employees working in our transport or warehouse teams. We have not seen any further evidence that changes our view on this.

“However, we respect our employees’ right to choose whether they wish to be represented by a union, which is why we will fully support a fair and transparent vote. Regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to open, honest and direct communication and to ensuring our people’s voices are heard.  
“We firmly believe the best way to engage with our teams is by listening to them directly, not via third parties. We’re proud of the progress made through our Local and Regional Engagement Forums, as well as our newer National Wholesale Employee Council and National Health and Safety Council. These groups, made up of volunteers from across our operations, ensure broad representation from all sites.

“Direct engagement remains our preferred approach, and we feel that these forums provide a more inclusive, responsive, and effective way to address the issues that matter most to our people.”