London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Food workers in UK going hungry – report

Food workers in UK going hungry – report

Authors of the report called their findings a "national disgrace"
Workers in the UK food industry are increasingly on the breadline, a new report has found.

The survey by the Bakers Food & Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) revealed nearly one in five food workers rely on a food bank, while just under half have skipped meals because they don't have enough money.

Authors of the report said the "sobering" results were down to low wages and soaring energy bills.

"Our members have faced 10 years of austerity and falling wages, a pandemic and now a cost of living crisis where inflation has surged past wages and is leaving many without the means to pay for their basic needs such as food, energy and housing costs, let alone have an income to pay for the things that provide happiness, enjoyment and contentment, like a social life, recreational and family activities," they wrote.

Around 370 workers in food production, distribution and retail from across Britain were asked questions about their food, energy and housing.

The number of people eating less went from 35% to 57% compared to 2021, while 55% were worried about running out of food and 80% were eating cheaper, unhealthier meals.

"People who grow, distribute and supply our food are often unable to purchase the very food that they produce," read the report. "Workers experience food insecurity as they do not earn enough to feed themselves and their families."

The UK, like many European countries, has been battered by inflation over the last year, hitting a 41-year high in November.

Food and drink were 19.1% more expensive in March compared to the year before, while housing and bills saw a 26.1% increase over the same period, according to the Office for National Statistics Consumer Prices Index.

Poorer people spend a higher proportion of their income on basic necessities, like food and energy, meaning these price rises inflict a heavier toll.

This cost of living crisis has been blamed in large part on the Ukraine war, though other factors – such as climate change and structural issues within the British energy sector – have also played a role.


In the survey, 88% of food workers were found to be cutting back on heating to save money, which the report's authors said was having "very significant" effects on their mental and physical health.

One respondent summed up their family's circumstances as "cold and poor", describing how the home had become "a bit of a prison".

While the current cost of living crisis is certainly traceable to acute crises, the root of the problem is long-term wage stagnation, with 63% of those surveyed saying their income was insufficient to "meet basic needs".

Analysis by the Resolution Foundation found that workers in Britain are €12,700 worse off a year, following 15 years of meagre wage growth, putting the UK notably behind comparable countries such as Germany.

Those behind the report on food workers criticised the status quo and called for sweeping changes.

"The suffering of our members, the key workers who kept people fed during the pandemic and who continue to ensure people are fed all of the time, is a national disgrace," wrote the report's authors. "It is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue."

Pledging "to campaign for a right to food so that no child or adult goes hungry or feels food insecure in the 5th richest country in the world," they suggest various solutions to the crisis, including raising the minimum wage to at least €17.20 an hour.

"Our data shows clearly that people are suffering and that radical solutions are required," the report added.

In April, the government increased the minimum wage for workers aged 23 or over by 9.7% from €10.93 to €11.99 an hour.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×