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Workers at Greene King have announced strike action, according to Unite, with 188 workers who are members of the union set to partake.
The workers in question are based at Bury St Edmunds, Eastwood (Nottinghamshire) and Abingdon (Oxfordshire), and brew and distribute Greene King’s products including IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale.
They will be taking an initial five days of strike action beginning on Monday 5 December.
It comes as the workers voted for strike action after Greene King offered a 3% pay increase and a further one-off payment of £650. With the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 14.2%, Unite said this amounts to a “very substantial real terms wage cut”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Greene King’s owners are incredibly wealthy, the failure to offer workers a decent pay rise is all about greed and not about need.
“Unite, which is now entirely focussed on defending the jobs, pay and conditions of its members, will not idly stand by while a wealthy company tries to further boost its profits by subjecting its workers to substantial real terms pay cuts. Unite members at Greene King will receive the union’s complete and total support throughout their dispute.”
Unite regional officer Mark Jaina added: “The strike action will inevitably result in drinkers being denied their favourite tipple this Christmas but this dispute is entirely of Greene King’s own making. It has had every chance to make a fair pay offer but has refused to do so. Greene King needs to stop wringing its hands and make our members a decent pay offer.”
A Greene King spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that the union has encouraged its members to reject our pay offer, as well as a number of other benefits, and pursue this course of action. Our pay rise offer is fair and consistent across the business, especially given the challenging wider economic environment. We have full contingency plans in place to minimise disruption and we will be working closely with our customers to communicate and implement these in the coming days.”
