Workers at Encirc’s Avonmouth site in Bristol have agreed an improved pay deal, ending fears over a possible shortage of wine bottles.
After targeted industrial action began last month, Encirc – one of the UK’s largest bottling suppliers – agreed to increase its initial offer of a 3.2% pay increase.
More than 200 members of Unite – who produce and package wine bottles sold in supermarkets across the UK – will now receive a 4.4% pay increase backdated to January 2025, alongside a 1% increase in pensions backdated to the same date.
They will also receive improved overtime rates, with double time being paid from 7pm on Fridays until 7am on Mondays.
Encirc had also dropped an attempt to enforce a policy that it would not increase pay above and beyond the consumer prices index including the owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rate of inflation, Unite said. Such a move woud have diminished its representatives’ ability to negotiate better pay and conditions in the future, it claimed.
Redundancy and sickness policies had also been improved, it added.
“This is an excellent result for our members at Encirc, who by being prepared to take strike action have secured far better pay and conditions,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham. “This result shows how Unite’s laserlike focus on jobs, pay and conditions delivers for our members.”
An Encirc spokeswoman said: “We are pleased a settlement has been reached. Throughout the short period of industrial action, our contingency plans ensured there was no interruption to our production or supply chain demands.”
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