Morrisons employee leads protests at stores nationwide after Bradford-based retailer accused of selling 'FrankenChickens'

Animal welfare activists are set to protest at Morrisons stores in Sheffield, Manchester, Dundee, Bristol, London, Liverpool, and Reading today (August 15), among others.
There are protests at Morrisons around the country todayThere are protests at Morrisons around the country today
There are protests at Morrisons around the country today

Doug Maw, a Morrisons employee who claims he is facing disciplinary action for taking part in the animal welfare campaign, is spearheading protests around the country following an investigation into alleged issues within the grocer's chicken supply chain.

Earlier this month a report from charity Open Cages accused one of Morrisons' main suppliers of breeding "FrankenChickens" - birds genetically engineered to grow larger and faster than they naturally would.

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Campaigners and volunteers from charities Open Cages, Animal Equality UK, and The Humane League UK have launched a 'Morrisons Misery' campaign, calling for the grocer to sign the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).

Mr Maw, from Bognor Regis, claims the retailer told him that social media posts he had shared surrounding the campaign were inappropriate.

He said: “I’ve been a passionate advocate for animal welfare for decades. Morrisons has made me feel unwelcome as a member of staff and questioned my commitment to the company for putting my values first.

“I believe we all have a responsibility to hold the companies we work for to account, and encourage them to do better. That's how we move things forward. When I saw for myself just how bad the conditions are in the recent investigation, I knew I had to do something bigger, and that's why I'm exercising my rights to protest today.”

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In response to the investigation, Morrisons said: “We care deeply about animal welfare and require all our suppliers to maintain the highest standards. We have asked [the supplier] Cranswick to conduct a full investigation and report back to us.”

Marks and Spencer and Waitrose and Partners are currently the only UK supermarkets to have committed to the BCC.

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