Deliveries to thousands of bars, restaurants and wholesalers in the UK will be 'severely disrupted' if nearly 1,000 drinks logistics workers go on strike, union officials warn.
Picture: © format4 / Alamy
Unite, the UK’s largest trade union, is this week balloting 970 drivers, draymen and warehouse workers at 27 sites operated by transport giant Kuehne and Nagel Drinks Logistics (KNDL) in England, Scotland and Wales.
The dispute, which could lead to strike action at the end of the month, centres on the company’s interpretation of the National Ways Agreement, which governs the terms and conditions of its workforce.
‘In recent months the management at KNDL has rode (sic) roughshod over the national agreement and has unilaterally started imposing changes to working conditions for our members without meaningful consultation,’ said Rhys McCarthy, Unite national officer for the food and drinks sector.
‘Unite’s repeated attempts to rectify these breaches have been met with intransigence by the management and, as a last resort, our members are being balloted for industrial action.’
KNDL said it was ‘fully committed’ to an ongoing dialogue with Unite and planned to meet union representatives to discuss the matter further on 29 August, after the strike ballot closes.
Unite said industrial action would cause ‘severe disruption’ to KNDL’s deliveries to restaurants, pubs and bar chains throughout the country.
Written by Richard Woodard
