Over 200 Unite members at the Encirc site in Avonmouth, Bristol, are planning to strike over pay
Supermarket wine shelves could be left bare this summer as factory workers at a bottling company are planning to strike.
Over 200 members of Unite at the Encirc site in Avonmouth, Bristol, are set to strike over pay and collective bargaining from 19 June to 5 July.
The factory’s workforce is involved in various areas, including bottling and packaging red, white, rosé and sparkling wines, and distributing them from warehouses.
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Encirc supplies all the major supermarkets with wine, which is the UK’s most popular alcoholic beverage.
According to Unite, Encirc is a “very profitable company” with a turnover exceeding £600M, supplying all the large supermarkets with bottles, boxes and bags of wine.
Unite claims that the firm has only offered its workers a 3.2 per cent pay rise without negotiating with Unite and has repeatedly stated that future pay rises will only be tied to inflation.
This effectively removes Unite’s collective bargaining rights, as any pay increases will be determined by Encirc without prior negotiations and then imposed on the workers. Previously, the union had been able to negotiate with management on pay.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Encirc’s meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need. This is a very lucrative company that can fully afford to pay its workers properly but it is choosing not to.
“Unite will not stand idly by and allow Encric to steal our members hard won rights. Encirc workers deserve better and they have Unite’s full support throughout this dispute.”
Industrial action is set to occur between 19 June and 5 July, with employees from various sectors of the business striking at different dates and times in line with production schedules for maximum effect.
A 12-week overtime ban will also be implemented as part of the protest.
Unite regional officer John Sweeney warned: “There is no doubt that this action will hit supermarket shelves. While shortages may be frustrating for customers looking to enjoy a bottle of wine this summer, the situation is entirely of Encirc’s own making.
“Management has constantly refused to engage meaningfully. Encirc needs to return to the negotiating table with a vastly improved offer.”