Coca-cola supply at risk as UK workers set to walk out of Europe’s biggest plant

Unite members at the Coca Cola Europacific Partners site in Wakefield voted to walk out for a series of strikes from June 8

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Workers at a soft drinks plant are to strike in a dispute over pay. Unite has said hundreds of its members at the Coca Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) site in Wakefield would walk out for a series of strikes from June 8.

The workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over a pay offer which the union said was worth an average of 6%, adding it did nothing to address the cost-of-living crisis.

Strikes will inevitably shut down the production of Britain’s favourite soft drinks, including Coca-Cola

Chris Rawlinson, Unite regional officer

There would be 14 days of strike action, comprising three 48-hour strikes and two 96-hour strikes, spaced over a two-week period.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Coca Cola Europacific Partners is making profits in the billions but it’s delivering a pay cut to the very workers who are making them.”

“Its profits are up 37% to an astronomical £1.85 billion. Offering workers a real terms pay cut when business is booming is nothing short of corporate greed. The workforce are rightly furious at the company’s profiteering.”

The plant in Wakefield can produce 360,000 cans, and 132,000 bottles, per hour. Its products include Coca Cola in all its varieties, including Diet Coke and Coke Zero. The plant also produces Fanta, Dr. Pepper, Sprite and Schweppes products.

“Strikes will inevitably shut down the production of Britain’s favourite soft drinks, including Coca-Cola,” said Unite regional officer Chris Rawlinson.

“But Industrial action can still be avoided at Europe’s biggest soft drinks plant if bosses realise that they must pay workers a fair wage from the company’s enormous profits.”

A Coca Cola Europacific Partners spokesperson said: “In the current economic climate, we believe the pay rises that we are offering are very competitive within the market place.

“We also provide substantial additional benefits and bonuses to our colleagues, altogether this is an average total package of £46,900 for a colleague at Wakefield.

“We have also made a £1,000 payment to all frontline colleagues in the past 12 months to support the current cost-of-living challenges.

While Unite has chosen to proceed with industrial action, we remain fully committed to maintaining talks with our colleagues at our Wakefield site and their representatives to secure a constructive outcome

CCEP spokesperson

“Our competitive rewards package includes our share-save scheme and almost 80% of our Wakefield colleagues invest in that scheme and benefit from our ongoing success as a business.”

The spokesperson continued: “We have a strong track record of supporting colleagues at our Wakefield site, allowing them to build their skills and develop their careers in a hi-tech, modern manufacturing operation, where we have invested more than £100 million in the past five years alone.

“While Unite has chosen to proceed with industrial action, we remain fully committed to maintaining talks with our colleagues at our Wakefield site and their representatives to secure a constructive outcome.

“We have robust contingency measures in place and are confident that there will be no disruption to our trade customers.”