Workers at a major poultry company that supplies chickens to supermarkets and fast food giants across the country have launched strike action amid a pay dispute.

The United Workers Union said hundreds of members at two Ingham’s sites — the processing plant at Bolivar in Adelaide’s north, and at Osborne Park in suburban Perth — have walked off the job for at least 24 hours.

The union said staff have rejected what they say equates to a $1.50-per-hour rise, saying the offer was inadequate in the face of inflation and growing cost-of-living pressures.

It also said the strike would have “significant ramifications” for the supply of chickens to major retailers, “not only in South Australia but across the eastern seaboard”.

“The workers have been bargaining with Ingham’s since the beginning of the year about trying to get a cost-of-living wage increase as part of their three-year bargaining pattern,” the union’s national secretary, Tim Kennedy, told ABC Radio Adelaide.

“During that time, Ingham’s have actually been bringing in enormous profits.

“They increased their profits in the last year by 72 per cent to $60.5 million.”

According to its website, Ingham’s supplies supermarkets including Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, and fast food chains KFC, McDonald’s and Subway.

The company has been contacted for comment.

Mr Kennedy said about 1,000 staff were involved in today’s industrial action which, he said, would “continue through the weekend” and into next week if no agreement is reached.

“The workers have notified another 24 hours on Saturday and another 24 hours on Sunday,” he said.

Ingham’s packer and union delegate Michelle Tan said the disparity in pay between executives and workers was unacceptable at a time of significant cost-of-living spikes.”All of these people here come every day, they try to support their families for $25 minimum an hour and they are pushed hard.”

“You’re packing the same thing over and over and over again. There is no rotation.”

Ms Tan said workers were granted two quarter-hour breaks but want more flexible arrangements.

“We don’t get 15 minutes — we have to be back on that line ready before that 15 minutes and if we do not, we get a warning,” she said.

“They’re expecting us to push out so much product in a few hours — it’s not possible. Maybe some of those management should come down, put some whites on, and try doing what we do.”

Another staff member, Rosie Wright, said she had worked at Ingham’s for 25 years and was “sick of being hard done by” and wanted more than a “pittance”.

“Every enterprise bargain they have given us a small, small amount and we’re sick of it,” she said.

“We are all struggling. I pay $590 a week rent.

“I don’t have a partner, I’m a single mum.”

Worker Bayan Mohamed said he wanted a wage rise that was “fair and basic, given the cost of living”.

“We’re trying to make ends meet,” he said.

“This is a very successful business, it does make a lot of profit.”