Food & Drink

Chivas workers enact overtime ban ahead of strike

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GMB employees at Chivas Brothers websites in Scotland have applied a ban on additional time in response to the corporate’s pay freeze supply.

chivas-regal

Chivas Brothers produces Chivas Regal blended Scotch whisky

Chivas Brothers employees who’re members of commerce unions Unite and GMB are due to go on strike at various websites throughout Scotland on the finish of Could.

The unions stated the corporate had supplied a pay freeze, however Chivas Brothers pledged assured pay will increase for 2021 and 2022. As such, employees have been balloted for strike motion by their unions.

Greater than 4 fifths of GMB members backed requires strike motion. Chivas Brothers’ Scottish websites maintained full manufacturing throughout the pandemic, GMB famous.

The continual additional time ban got here into impact yesterday (26 Could).

GMB stated the transfer was applied forward of ‘crunch talks’ between union representatives and Chivas bosses tomorrow morning by means of ACAS.

GMB added that the discussions have been ‘essential’ and will imply strike motion is dodged over the summer time months.

“Chivas has the cash, there’s no want in any way to impose a real-terms pay reduce on their employees throughout Scotland, and strike motion may be averted if administration tables an improved supply this Friday,” stated GMB Scotland organiser Keir Greenaway.

“These devoted employees have helped this firm see by means of what is going to hopefully show to be the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, sustaining full manufacturing throughout Scottish operations, and stabilising the enterprise.”

The economic motion would have an effect on Chivas’ key Scottish manufacturing websites, together with the Kilmalid bottling corridor, Strathclyde grain distillery, and maturation websites in Speyside, Clydebank and Ayrshire.

Greenaway added: “There’s additionally nice confidence amongst Chivas executives within the long-term development of the Scotch whisky trade and GMB members are the inspiration for this optimism – it will be fallacious on the employer’s half to disregard the folks they can’t do with out.

“Chivas can finish this dispute on Friday by bringing ahead a greater supply that’s worthy of our members’ session.”

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky arm of French agency Pernod Ricard, employs about 1,600 employees in Scotland. In full-year 2020, Chivas Brothers’ natural gross sales declined by 11% as a result of pandemic.

Maintained jobs and pay

Chivas Brothers chairman and CEO Jean-Christophe Coutures, stated: “Regardless of the unprecedented enterprise challenges we proceed to face as we get well from the affect of Covid-19, we now have maintained 100% of jobs and pay all through the pandemic ­­and even recruited throughout our Scottish websites.

“We stay dedicated to searching for a decision with the unions that focuses our collective efforts on reaching long-term enterprise success, job safety and development, and we’re decided to do every little thing doable to minimise any disruption which may happen on account of this additional time ban.”

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