Wine shortage fears after bottling workers go on strike
Drinkers face the possibility of wine shortages this summer after workers at the nation's biggest bottling plant voted to go on strike.
Union bosses warned shoppers to expect empty supermarket shelves after 200 staff at the Encirc factory in Bristol decided to walk out in a dispute over pay.
The facility is capable of bottling nearly 300 million litres of wine a year, the equivalent of about 360 million bottles, and has 40 per cent market share.
It supplies all the major supermarkets and is used by 18 of the top 20 wine brands in the UK, including Hardys, Villa Maria and McGuigan, as well as several popular celebrity wines including Graham Norton and Sarah Jessica Parker's ranges.
Most new world wines are shipped to the UK in huge containers and bottled here to save the financial and environmental costs of transporting millions of bottles.
The trade union Unite confirmed that the strike would take place between Thursday and July 5 and that workers in different parts of the business would take industrial action on different dates and at different times to maximise disruption.
John Sweeney, Unite's regional officer, said: 'There is no doubt that this action will hit supermarket shelves. 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.'
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Unite explained that Encirc, which is owned by the Spanish Vidrala group, had only offered its workers a 3.2 per cent pay rise, with all future pay rises linked to inflation. The union also accused the company of effectively removing collective bargaining rights because any pay increases will in future be imposed on workers without negotiation.
Sharon Graham, Unite's general secretary, said that the firm was 'very profitable' and had 'a turnover of more than £600 million'.
She added: 'Encirc's meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need. We will not stand idly by and allow Encirc to steal our members' hard-won rights. Encirc workers deserve better and they have our full support throughout this dispute.'
In a statement, the company said that it was 'incredibly disappointed' with the industrial action and would try to 'mitigate any impact' on supplies.
The firm said: 'We have worked hard to not only uplift pay and conditions, but to create a truly great place to work. If this latest pay offer was accepted, we would have increased pay for our Bristol-based site by more than 16 per cent in less than two years. There are few companies in our sector globally who have done the same for their people.'
The firm added that it remained 'open to dialogue with the union in good faith'.
Enirc's Bristol site is one of the most advanced and sustainable bottling facilities in the world, operating with zero waste and 100 per cent renewable electricity. It boasts of being able to handle bulk container shipping tanks that hold 24,000 litres of wine, which is then bottled on site, reducing glass shipping costs and carbon emissions.
Supermarkets and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association have been approached for comment.
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