Unite the union members employed by AG Barr have backed strike action, in an escalating dispute over pay.
Supplies of Irn-Bru are now potentially under threat this summer, as around a dozen trucker and shunter drivers at the company’s Cumbernauld production and distribution centre backed industrial action by 83%.
Unite will accordingly update on prospective strike action dates in due course.
General secretary Sharon Graham said: “Summer supplies of Irn-Bru could fizzle out in a matter of weeks due to AG Barr’s derisory pay offer.
“The company has £52.9m sitting in the bank, yet management are refusing to share this massive money pot with their workers.”
The ballot result follows the rejection of a 5% pay offer, which Unite stated equates to a real-terms pay cut of 6.3%, based on the current RPI inflation rate of 11.3%.
The Scottish beverage business increased its revenue by 18.2% to £317.6m for the year ended on 29 January 2023, with adjusted profit before tax rising to £43.5m.
Andy Brown, Unite industrial officer, said: “We remain open to resolving this dispute through negotiation, but unless there is a significant improvement in the pay offer strike action is on the cards.”
A spokesperson from AG Barr told the Daily Record: “We’re disappointed in today’s decision by a small number of our drivers to take industrial action.
“We made an offer which we believe is fair and competitive to our HGV1 drivers, it is also in line with what has been agreed with our other employees and we believe we have a responsibility to be fair to everyone.
“We have contingency plans in place to maintain customer service and we will continue to work with Unite representatives to find a positive and constructive resolution.”
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