The IUF-affiliated Unite the Union and its members at Molson Coors breweries in UK are standing up against the company's proposals [1]which include pay cuts for half of the union members, forced excessive shift hours and the unilateral tearing up of an agreement by the employer to be replaced by terms dictated solely by them. Molson Coors has threatened to dismiss workers if they do not agree to the company's proposals by June 14.
The dispute is centered on a shake-up at the group's Burton Brewery and Shobnall Maltings. The union reports that the entire 455-strong workforce face being sacked and then possibly reinstated on inferior pay and conditions.
Workers could be called to come into work with less than one days' notice and could have their wage packet slashed by £9,000 per year. The proposal is also to make up to 26 positions redundant.
Unite the Union believes this fight is every workers fight. If successful, this proposal will damage the local economy. Bring the decent wages paid currently to Molson Coors' down, and the average comes down for all since most local employers now use local "market rates" which will be lower for all of Burton.
A ballot for strike action is underway which Unite expects a resounding YES vote.
Molson Coors should sit down and negotiate a fair way forward with Unite that does not destroy families and threaten homes!
ACT NOW! [2] Help Unite to achieve justice in this dispute!