Workers at the Encirc facility in Avonmouth, Bristol, represented by Unite, are set to strike from 19 June to 5 July. This action will occur in phases, with employees across various departments striking on different dates aligned with production schedules. Additionally, a 12-week overtime ban will accompany the strike.
The decision for strike action comes after union members overwhelmingly rejected Encirc’s proposed 3.2% pay increase, which was offered without prior negotiations with Unite, the recognized union at the site.
Unite reports that Encirc has indicated future pay increases will be directly linked to inflation. This stipulation undermines collective bargaining rights, allowing the company to impose pay adjustments without negotiating with workers. Historically, the union had negotiated pay directly with management.
When Encirc requested involvement from the conciliation service Acas for negotiations, Unite complied. However, the revised offer presented was notably less favorable than the one already rejected by workers.
“Encirc’s meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need,” stated Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite.
“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 Encirc to steal our members’ hard-won rights. Encirc workers deserve better, and they have Unite’s full support throughout this dispute.”
Adding to this sentiment, Unite Regional Officer John Sweeney emphasized that “no doubt” exists regarding the strike’s impact on wine availability in the UK, given that Encirc supplies all major supermarkets.
“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,” Sweeney remarked.
“Management has constantly refused to engage meaningfully. Encirc needs to return to the negotiating table with a vastly improved offer.”
Encirc, part of the Vidrala Group, operates five sites in the UK, employing nearly 2,000 individuals and producing over 3 billion glass containers annually.
