The chicken supply crisis at KFC is continuing despite the fact more chicken is getting through to restaurants. The chain has said more restaurants have now been able to open following a peak last week when 750 or its 900 outlets had to shut after KFC switched logistics suppliers from Bidvest to DHL.
The GMB union has been critical of the decision to switch providers, which resulted in the loss of 255 jobs when Bidvest closed a depot. The union has now said the new DHL cold storage hub in Rugby, from where the problems with delivery have stemmed, has not been granted registration required to operate by the local Council.
Rugby Borough Council confirmed the cold storage facility used by DHL, which took over KFC deliveries last week, had not yet been registered.
GMB has said the crisis that has engulfed KFC’s UK operations could have been avoided if warnings had been heeded months ago.
The union wrote to the company in October warning over its decision to switch its deliveries from the food delivery specialists Bidvest Logistics to DHL.
Mick Rix, GMB National Officer said: “It’s taken days to uncover the real truth about the shambles at this DHL hub that has plunged KFC’s supply chain into total chaos.
“It’s clear that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand’s doing in this operation. It’s the company’s colonels who need to be held to account for this mess, not the workers who have lost time and money through no fault of their own.”
KFC said in a statement on its website it had been ‘a hell of a week’ and the situation was ‘not ideal’ but it was “making progress and every day more fresh chicken is being delivered to our restaurants”.