Molson Coors employees balloted for strike action
There is also dispute over the management’s package of proposals which includes axing the wages of 184 brewery technicians and 41 operatives by up to £9,000-a-year.
A spokesman for Molson Coors said that changes to shift patterns are “common practice for British manufacturers”.
Unite said that it had given the management seven days’ notice of the ballot which runs from 30 April to 28 May. A meeting of Unite members was held at Burton town hall last night.
Unite regional officer Rick Coyle said the 455-strong workforce “are very angry at the hardline attitude of the management”.
Coyle added: “The 90-day consultation period on these proposals ends on 14 June. Members will then be subject to individual consultations and face being sacked and re-engaged. This could be done between then and the end of the year.
“Unite wants an equable and fair settlement with the management of this very profitable company and is ready for constructive negotiations. However, the management’s stance has meant our members voting on strike action, given the atmosphere of duress and threat to their livelihoods.”
A Molson Coors spokesman explained that the brewer has been in discussions with Unite representatives since July 2012 to identify “opportunities to save costs” to “compete in a declining beer industry”.
He added: “Proposals we recently put to our employees cover potential changes to organisational structures, terms and conditions of employment as well as flexible ways of working. This, alongside the investment we are making in the brewery itself, will build a sustainable future for brewing in Burton.
“Whilst the changes to shifts we have proposed are significant for our employees, they are common practice for British manufacturers. We appreciate the impact these changes will have on some of our Burton Brewery and Shobnall Maltings employees and we remain committed to working with Unite to find a solution for all parties.”
The Burton plant produces Carling, Grolsch, Coors Lite and Cobra lagers, Worthington, White Shield and Stones.
