Unite, the union, which represents many workers for the Scottish-based brewer and bar operator, has reacted angrily to the manner in which 38 bars were shuttered and 484 staff were lost as Tilray completed a £33m deal to take over the struggling business.
Unite said bar employees were “informed on a hastily arranged conference call” that the sale was set to go ahead with some staff told they no longer had jobs with immediate effect.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a devastating day for BrewDog workers. Nearly 500 lost livelihoods while yet another corporate deal is stitched together behind closed doors.
Legal and financial justice
“BrewDog workers built this brand. They deserved respect. Instead, they were treated as disposable pawns. Unite will not rest until our members have legal and financial justice.”
The union added companies have a legal duty to consult their workers on redundancies. “Giving workers a 25-minute warning of a conference call where vital questions about pay and redundancies were not answered, is not consultation” it stated.
Unite said it will be demanding urgent answers from both BrewDog and Tilray on unpaid wages, full transparency around the sale process and will be seeking the best possible redundancy terms for every affected worker.
‘National disgrace’
Unite national lead for hospitality Bryan Simpson said: “The way in which senior management have conducted themselves throughout this sales process has been nothing short of a national disgrace – with workers being given no information about the company’s plans or their futures.
“For the CEO to tell workers they were redundant with immediate effect, on a conference call with only 25 minutes notice, has echoes of P&O and is deplorable. Unite will be ensuring that our members receive everything they are legally entitled to.”
Unite also set up a demonstration at BrewDog’s Aberdeen bar last week to complain about the treatment of staff before the sale to Tilray took place.
To see the bars that have survived and which have closed, click here to read the list.
