Arena Magazine 2005 Issue 5

Flour power at Jus-Rol bakery

One of the UK’s best known ready-made pastry brands is Jus-Rol. Less well-known is the fact that it is manufactured at the Berwick-upon-Tweed site in North Northumberland which is organised by Usdaw.

Spread across 25,000 sq metres it houses two factories, with storage facilities, and employs more than 250 union members. Jus-Rol is the main employer in the picturesque border town and has provided employment there for more than 50 years. Arena paid a visit to the famous industrial bakery which is undergoing a new lease of life after some difficult years in the tough food manufacturing sector.

The dust has literally settled at Jus-Rol now the company has made a multi-million pound investment in the site. It's a new chapter in the site's 50 year history and brings to an end ongoing problems over flour dust exposure.

This summer Usdaw concluded the last of 13 claims for occupational asthma which recovered more than £530,000 in compensation for its members.

The factory has just had a glowing report from safety watchdog the Health and Safety Executive and is now considered a model for other food manufacturers in the area.

Walking around the Jus-Rol site it's clear the money has been well spent and health and safety is well embedded into the working environment. New ceilings, flooring and specially designed dust extractors give the factory a clean, bright modern feel. Protective clothing and specially fitted dust masks protect the workforce in the relevant departments.

The site is a mix of high-tech machinery and hard-working employees manufacturing everything from ready made pastry, including puff and filo varieties, to vol-au-vents, canapés, sausage rolls and other products for many of the big supermarket chains and catering firms.

The site is looked after by a hard-working team of reps all with long service at the factory. Branch secretary Caroline Mullins ensures union forms are given out at inductions. "Most workers usually sign up as do the seasonal workers who come back during the second half of the year," she said.

"We are all experienced reps," said David Locke. "When the previous team of reps left some years ago we all became involved and we have taken things forward. We communicate mainly by word of mouth, with each rep doing their bit in their different departments. We hold reps' meetings every month and we call meetings for the membership as-and-when necessary."

The site, owned by US firm General Mills, is its only manufacturing site in the UK. The two production shifts work 37.5 hours a week. There is a three week close down period in August with additional holidays throughout the year. A final salary pension operates, as does a subsidised canteen, and staff discount.

"Most of the workforce are more likely to retire than leave," said rep Sandra Rice. Local area organiser Stewart Forrest is full of praise for the team of reps. "If a site is 90-95 per cent membership you know the reps are doing an excellent job," he said. "They are well organised, understand their role and need little help from me in the day-to-day organisation of the branch. They're doing a great job."

There is a Learning Centre in the pipeline and already many workers have caught the learning bug. "There has been lots of interest in various courses," said Union Learning Rep Ian Rutherford. "We held a joint course with management reps and with the help of Northumberland college a number of people have completed IT and basic skills courses. A Spanish course starts in October." His sentiments were echoed by human resource manager Jan Robson. "This is part of the learning culture we are keen to promote and it will benefit the individual and the business," she said.

General manager Roger Turnbull has been with the company for two years and has overseen the massive investment in the site. "Over a three year period we will have invested in the region of £6m in Jus-Rol Berwick," he said. "Two years ago we were producing 17,000 tonnes of product now that's up to 24,000. It's a fiercely competitive industry but I'm confident we can meet the challenge.

"We all care passionately about the site and we are doing all we can to provide another 50 years of employment in Berwick. The bad old days are definitely behind us."

Baking in Berwick for half a century and more

• Jus-Rol was founded by Tom Forsyth in 1954 and was originally based in nearby Coldstream.

• Eight years later it had transferred to its present site in Berwick.

• In 1975 it was bought by Fitch Lovell.

• In 1990 Fitch Lovell was acquired by Booker plc. Later that year Grand Metropolitan bought the Jus-Rol part of the business.

• In 1996 Jus-Rol became part of Pillsbury Europe.

• In 2001 current owner General Mills bought the Pillsbury business.

• In 2003 the company name changed to General Mills (Berwick) Ltd.

• In 2004 Jus-Rol celebrated its 50th birthday.

Usdaw members ever present at famous site

• Although in England, the Jus-Rol factory comes under the union's Scottish division. This is not altogether surprising as local club Berwick play in the Scottish League Division three.

• There has been union membership there for many years. It was originally looked after by the Scottish Bakers Union which merged with Usdaw in 1977.

• At its peak in 1995 the branch had 544 members. It now has 250 'core' members - boosted by the influx of seasonal workers during the busiest period.

• Reps at the branch take an active part in union business and have also held a number of fund raising events for charity over the years.

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