Unite threatens ‘beer drought’ after pay dispute

More than 1,000 workers across XPO’s supply chain will be asked to vote this week (Wednesday 28 July) for strike action and industrial action short of a strike over the company’s offer of 1.4% for 2021, reportedly below the current RPI inflation rate of 3.9%.

The union claimed that its members represented 40% of XPO’s delivery workforce, resulting in major disruptions for brands such as Heineken should a strike go ahead.

Unite said it had offered a ‘manageable’ inflation increase which the company then rejected. This resulted in the workforce voting overwhelmingly in a consultative ballot in favour of a full-scale industrial action ballot.

Separate issue​

Separately from the pay issue, Unite lodged a complaint against XPO bosses that claimed all Covid-secure cleaning processes for the drivers had been cut, which the union described as ‘​​the height of irresponsibility as Covid cases were rocketing alarmingly’.

Unite national officer for the drinks industry Joe Clarke said: “Our members have suffered great financial hardship during the pandemic with some of them losing up to £10,000 through being furloughed and picking up no overtime.​

“The company has responded by offering a paltry 1.4 per cent which is well below the current RPI inflation rate of 3.9 per cent. Meanwhile, the drivers, their ‘mates’ and warehouse staff are working flat out currently to meet the high demand for beer volumes in our pubs as society reopens.”​

Disruption and ‘pingdemic’​

Disruption caused by a potential strike would be on top of the ‘​pingdemic’ that is already hitting the sector.