Trade Union

Further strike action expected to cause Christmas trade disruption

16-Nov-2023 By Ed Bedington

The hospitality sector is braced for further Christmas disruption after train drivers announced plans to stage a fresh round of strikes in early December.

Another Christmas lost?

25-Nov-2022 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington catches up with hospitality expert Paul Pavli to get his take on the week's news, dominated by the rail union's decision to announce fresh strikes.

Hospitality managers work 7.5 hours a week unpaid

04-Mar-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Almost one in five hospitality and catering managers regularly work unpaid overtime, new figures from The Trades Union Congress (TUC) have revealed.

Industrial action could hit drinks deliveries before Christmas

24-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

Christmas deliveries of Carlsberg and other drinks from firms such as Brains, Coors, Greene King, and Mitchells & Butlers could be hit by an industrial dispute brewing at DHL Tradeteam, the Unite union claims.

Cautious optimism over fixed hours for zero-hours contracts workers

24-May-2017 By Liam Coleman

A Government-commissioned inquiry that recommends employees on zero-hours contracts are given a right to request fixed hours has been given a cautious welcome by one trade body.

Strike action

Diageo faces Christmas strikes

25-Nov-2016 By Helen Gilbert

Smirnoff and Guinness owner Diageo is facing industrial action by workers in a dispute over pensions.

Tube strikes are "nightmare" for London pubs, hotels and restaurants, says BHA chief exec

06-Aug-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

London pubs and other hospitality businesses face a “nightmare” caused by tube strikes, the British Hospitality Association (BHA) has warned.

KNDL looks to minimise disruption from beer delivery strike

06-Sep-2013 By John Harrington

Kuehne + Nagel Drinks Logistics (KNDL) says it has contingency plans in place to deal with the planned 24-hour strike action by employees.

Community pubs minister slams Unite and Labour over beer strike action

06-Sep-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Community pubs minister Brandon Lewis has slammed the Unite union and the Labour Party for the Kuehne + Nagel Drinks Logistics planned 24-hour strike action by employees.

Logistics workers strike action could threaten beer deliveries

14-Aug-2013 By John Harrington

Nearly 1,000 workers at transport and logistics company Kuehne + Nagel Drinks Logistics (KNDL) are being balloted this week for industrial action over claimed breaches in working agreements.

GMB joins Fair Deal for Your Local

18-Jul-2013 By Michelle Perrett

GMB, the union has become the latest organisation to formally back the national ‘Fair Deal for Your Local’ campaign calling for a fair deal for Britain’s tied licensees and pubs.

Molson Coors staff dispute continues after pay deal vote

02-Jul-2013 By John Harrington

The threat of strike action by workers at Molson Coors’ brewery in Burton-on-Trent remains after employees rejected a deal on pay, conditions and new shift patterns.

Molson Coors staff vote for strike action over pay and shifts

30-May-2013 By John Harrington

Workers at Molson Coors’ Burton brewery have voted by a margin of 97% in favour of strike action in a dispute over payment and shift patterns.

Unite asks Molson Coors to reconsider jobs and pay changes in wake of beer duty cut

22-Mar-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The beer tax cut should prompt Molson Coors to rethink its proposed slashing of pay and conditions at its Burton-on-Trent plant, Unite, the country’s largest union has said.

Seminars to consider test purchase problems

25-Jan-2011 By Lesley Foottit

A series of seminars will be held at the end of March to discuss a solution to test purchasing and the control of age-restricted products. The Local...

Tough decisions could see pub sector go either way

08-Jan-2011 By Hamish Champ

Happy New Year to y'all, but not everyone is in a cheery mood. For according to the TUC 2011 is going to be 'horrible'. A killer combination of job...

Industry figures condemn SIA shutdown plan

15-Oct-2010 By Hamish Champ

Industry figures and trade unionists have slammed plans to scrap the Security Industry Authority (SIA), the government body which licenses security...

Trades unions and the pub

29-Sep-2010 By Phil Mellows

Phil Mellows gives his views on the GMB and whether it has a role to play in the dispute between tied pub tenants and pubcos.

Blaming the wrong party?

18-Sep-2010 By Hamish Champ

Last week felt like being back in the days of the Heath government, power cuts, and men wearing platform shoes. At the TUC's conference, speaker...

Unite: unions have a place in the pub trade

16-Sep-2010 By Jennie Formby

Do the trade unions have a role to play in the pub industry? Unite's national officer for the food and drink sector Jennie Formby argues the case...

'GMB blames owners for decline in pub-going'

15-Sep-2010 By Matt Eley Matt

A bar room brawl between the GMB and the top pub groups kicked off again today as the trade union blamed a 25% drop in the amount of alcohol served...

Coca-Cola workers' strike back on

10-Sep-2010 By James Wilmore

A strike by workers at Coca-Cola Enterprise's (CCE) North London bottling plant is now "likely" next week, trade union Unite has said. The union...

GMB to raise industrial action at meetings

09-Sep-2010 By Ewan Turney

Controversial trade union the GMB is to host three meetings to discuss the prospect of industrial action in a bid to help tied tenants secure lower...

Union suspends Coca-Cola strike action

08-Sep-2010 By Hamish Champ

Workers at Coca-Cola Enterprise's (CCE) North London bottling plant have called off two six-hour strikes that were due to take place today. The...

Coca-Cola workers to strike over pay

03-Sep-2010 By Hamish Champ

Workers at Coca-Cola Enterprises' (CCE) bottling plant in Edmonton, North London, are to mount a series of one day strikes in protest at what Unite,...

Hamish Champ: Confused logic?

23-Aug-2010 By Hamish Champ

There I was, thinking that the corporate side of the pub trade had dried up completely, and then along comes a private equity firm with an eye on...

GMB backing 60 pub tenants against pubcos

02-Jun-2010 By Gemma McKenna

Trade union the GMB is backing 60 hosts in legal cases against pub companies over "lease issues and Brulines fines". GMB national officer Paul...

GMB: we are acting lawfully on pubcos

29-Mar-2010 By Ewan Turney

The GMB says it has "sufficient reason" to believe that tied tenants do have legal immunity to take industrial action against pubcos. In a letter to...

BBPA threatens GMB with legal injunction

16-Mar-2010 By John Harrington

Join the GMB's industrial action and risk losing your business — that's the stark message to tied tenants from the BBPA.

MPs told about 'dangerous' pubcos

16-Mar-2010 By Matt Eley Matt

Angry licensee and trade union the GMB have upped their fight with pubcos over rent levels and beer prices, but have refused to name a date for...

No date set for GMB pub strike ballot

10-Mar-2010 By Ewan Turney

No date has yet been set for the GMB's ballot on industrial action by tied pub tenants as it prepares for its Westminster rally next week.

Enterprise asked MPs to warn licensees about GMB

05-Mar-2010 By James Wilmore

Enterprise Inns asked MPs investigating the industry to warn licensees about the "risk" of taking advice from trade union the GMB. In supplementary...

Dixon: GMB pub strike will end in tears

19-Feb-2010 By Phil Dixon

MA columnist Phil Dixon says the move by the GMB to promote industrial action from pub tenants is a crying shame.

Video: GMB pub strike action could come in April

18-Feb-2010 By Gemma McKenna

Industrial action against pubcos could kick off as early as April, says the GMB, who will also be "quite happy" to go to court with the pubcos.

Pubco: GMB is threatening pub livelihoods

09-Feb-2010 By Ewan Turney

Tied licensees who take part in industrial action are putting their businesses and homes at risk, one pubco has warned. The pubco hit out after trade union the GMB announced a series of 16 national roadshows to ballot on industrial action.

GMB announces pub strike roadshows

08-Feb-2010 By Ewan Turney

The GMB has announced a series of 16 dates for its roadshows to gain support for a national ballot on industrial action by tied pub tenants. As a...

Is joining the GMB the answer?

10-Jan-2010 By Hamish Champ

The GMB's recent 'call to arms' to tied pub tenants rounded off one of the industry's most difficult years in living memory. Never mind collapsing...

Punch warns licensees to "think carefully" before taking industrial action

04-Jan-2010 By Hamish Champ

Punch Taverns has warned its lessees to "think carefully" before signing up to the GMB's call for tied tenants to take industrial action against...

Licensees' strike ballot "a disgrace", says pubco rep

29-Dec-2009 By Hamish Champ

The GMB union's approach to 22,000 pub tenants over the issue of industrial action has been labelled a "disgrace" by a spokesman for one of the UK's...

Scottish Diageo staff win improved redundancy package

10-Dec-2009 By Hamish Champ

Diageo workers in Scotland are claiming a victory - of sorts - after successfully lobbying the drinks giant to improve terms of redundancy packages...

Unite clarifies position on pub ballot

30-Nov-2009 By Ewan Turney

The Unite trade union has moved to clarify its position in regard to a possible ballot on industrial action by fellow trade union GMB. The Morning...

Diageo boss to discuss plant closures with union reps

09-Nov-2009 By Hamish Champ

Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh is set to meet union officials at the company's Kilmarnock bottling plant this morning to outline reasons for the...

Strike action looms at Diageo

20-Oct-2009 By Ewan Turney

Strike action at Diageo sites in Kilmarnock, Port Dundass and Shieldhall moved a step closer as a ballot of workers opened. Last month, Diageo...

Unions claim Diageo jobs battle has "long way to go

11-Sep-2009 By James Wilmore

Unions fighting jobs cuts by Diageo in Scotland have vowed to set up their fight against the drinks giant's plans - declaring there is a "very long...

Diageo unions step up fight for Scottish jobs

10-Sep-2009 By Gemma McKenna

Trade unions at Diageo have vowed to step up their campaign to save jobs across the drinks giant's Scottish operations. The reaction comes after...

Trade union attacks BII in Punch tenant dispute case

21-Aug-2009 By Matt Eley Matt

Trade union the GMB has hit out at the BII and accused it of "washing its hands" of resolving a pubco and tenant dispute. The GMB has taken up the...

Union calls on Scottish MPs to join fight to save 900 Diageo jobs

14-Jul-2009 By Hamish Champ

Unite, the UK's largest union, has called on Scottish MPs to back its fight to save more than 900 jobs at Diageo plants threatened with closure as...

'We paid a pound for our dream pub'

07-Jul-2009 By James Wilmore

A pound doesn't get you much these days. Not even half a pint in most pubs. But 100 new English pence was enough to make one couple's dream of owning...

Price: tread carefully on staff disciplinary hearings

06-May-2009 By Gerry Price

Gerry Price, leaseholder of the Inn at West End, Surrey says staff disciplinary hearings are a stressful business for all concerned. Things have been...

State of the Union: GMB, Unite and the beer-tie

29-Apr-2009 By James Wilmore

"We're back in the 1970s." That was the withering assessment of JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin after Alistair Darling's latest Budget blow. The...