17-07-2025
Fans of popular Scots drinks could face summer shortages
Read on to find out what brands might be affected
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BEER drinkers and Coca-Cola fans have been warned they could face shortages of their favourite tipples due to staff walkouts at a bottle factory.
Unite the Union said strike action by forklift drivers at a plant that makes glass bottles for major brewers and soft drink giants would "severely impact" production.
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The strike could cause a shortage of bottles of Budweiser Beer
Credit: Getty
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Coca-Cola also comes in the drinks firm's classic glass bottles
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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Bottled water Highland Spring could also be affected
Credit: Highland Spring
The workers, employed by Lockwood Haulage at the Ardagh Glass bottle factory, are set to down tools on Friday and Monday.
A Unite statement said the facility in Knottingley, West Yorks, supplied Diageo, the makers of Guinness, along with Heineken, and AB InBev, which brews Budweiser, Corona, Camden Town lager and many other top-selling thirst-quenchers.
The union said that Coke comes in the drinks firm's classic glass bottles, and bottled water Highland Spring, would also be affected by the industrial action.
Unite said the strikes were down to Lookwood Haulage failing to recognise the union.
General secretary Sharon Graham said: "Lockwood Haulage is union busting, plain and simple, and Unite will not tolerate it.
"The forklift drivers at Ardagh Glass will receive Unite's total backing for as long as it takes."
Lockwood Haulage is union busting, plain and simple, and Unite will not tolerate it.
General secretary Sharon Graham
Unite said: "The strikes will severely impact Ardagh's operations, as the company will not be able to load bottles onto trucks for delivery to clients including Diageo, InBev, Coca Cola, Heineken, and Highland Spring."
Unite regional officer Phil Boyes added: "The disruption that will be caused to Ardagh Glass is entirely the fault of Lockwood Haulage's disgraceful anti-union behaviour."
Mr Boyes said the drivers' previous employer, GXO, "had a long-standing agreement with Unite and this dispute will continue to escalate until it is honoured by Lockwood."
But some drinks firms insisted there would be no shortages of their products on shop shelves this summer.
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A spokesman for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said it sourced glass bottles from several sites and suppliers across Europe.
He added: "We are aware of proposed industrial action at one of these sites in the UK, and do not anticipate that this will cause any disruption to supply for our customers."
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Highland Spring said the factory no longer supplied the Scottish bottled water firm and it would not be affected by the strike action.
She said: "Highland Spring have not been supplied with glass bottles by Ardagh for several years."
Lockwood Haulage and the drinks firms were contacted for comment.
