Budweiser workers have announced a series of summer strikes following a pay dispute.
A total of 225 GMB members working at Budweiser Brewing Group’s (BBG) Samlesbury site, near Preston, will down tools in a series of dates in June in anger over a real terms pay cut.
It is the first time workers at the site, which brews Budweiser, Stella Artois, Becks, Boddingtons and Export Pale Ale, have gone in strike in its 50 year history.
GMB said in a statement, “After months of discussion with the world’s biggest brewer they tabled a full and final offer of 3 per cent increase for 2022 and 3 per cent for 2023 with increases in overtime rates. With the cost-of-living crisis and inflation at 11.1%, the offer amounts to a massive pay cut in real terms.”
Stephen Boden, GMB Organiser, said, “The last thing these workers want to do is jeopardise beer supplies just as the hot weather kicks in.
“But they’ve been pushed into this by bosses essentially slashing their wages during a cost of living crisis”.
BBG have said that it has plans in place to minimise the impact on customers.