Staff at sandwich firm Greencore have threatened to walk after agency staff were brought in while employees were still on furlough, according to the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU).

Over 600 workers had been placed on the Government’s Job Retention Scheme back in May, but Greencore has since enlisted the support of ’40-50 agency workers’, according to the BBC.

The BFAWU has subsequently lodged an official grievance with Greencore, saying the treatment of furloughed workers has been ‘unfair.’

This is the second grievance issued by the BFAWU against Greencore after the company had failed to inform colleagues that a manager at the site had tested positive for coronavirus in May.

George Attwall, regional officer for the union, said: “The workers want to come back to work. We can’t have agency on site. Our members deserve first chance to come back. There could be a walkout in Northampton because this is unfair.”

A statement released by Greencore said the company needed to “swiftly increase headcount” and did this by using “a long-standing agency partner.”

It added: “We intend to bring back colleagues in line with demand, and in a capacity that is compatible with colleagues’ parental and domestic responsibilities.”