Unite to ballot Greene King members over strike action

Unite is to ballot Greene King members on whether to take strike action in a row over a “paltry” 2% pay rise offer from the pub giant.

The trade union will ballot 160 of its members in the brewing and brands department, which includes draymen, warehouse workers and brewery production staff. They are based in the firm’s Suffolk headquarters as well as at distribution centres in Abingdon, Oxfordshire and Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.

Unite regional officer Mark Jaina said: “Our members are fed up with being palmed off with a paltry two per cent rise which has been the norm for the last six or seven years. Recent pay rises are way below the soaring cost of living and our members have said: ‘Enough is enough’.”

A Unite spokesman added: “We are looking for a decent and substantial pay rise.”

The ballot opens on Tuesday 10 December and closes on Monday 13 January 2020.

A spokesperson for Greene King said: “We are disappointed Unite has chosen to reject our pay offer as well as other benefits. This offer is fair and consistent across the brewing division, especially given the challenging wider economic environment and we have explained this to Unite in a number of meetings.”

Greene King has 38,000 employees and an estate of more than 3,000 pubs, it was sold for £4.6bn to CK Asset Holdings in August.