FOOD workers declared total opposition to workfare yesterday, confirming the BFAWU would ballot for industrial action if workers on such a scheme were bought into unionised workplaces.

The unpopular coalition government policy of making unemployed people work for benefits was met with short shift on day three of conference.

Veteran activist Pat Rowley, Postal Branch 215 delegate, described the practice as modern day “slave labour” and called for an upsurge in the campaign to oppose it.

Speaking on behalf of the executive committee, President Ian Hodson said the union wanted to see fair pay for a fair day’s work.

“If any employer brings in workfare into our workplaces we will have a meeting at that local branch and we will ballot our members for strike action,” he said to applause.

Mr Hodson recalled a spat with BBC Daily Politics presenter Andrew Neil on Twitter over the issue when Mr Hodson was challenged over his assertion that workfare was a form of modern-day slavery.

Defending his use of the term, Mr Hodson told conference: “I looked the definition of slavery up in the dictionary.

“And I found it meant an economic system which in it some people must work for no pay. Slavery is bondage and involuntary subjugation, often involving degrading labour. It is a civil relationship where one is a master and has control over another.

“Well if that isn’t workfare that I have just described then I don’t know what is.”