Princes has accused the Unite union of putting employees’ jobs at risk in an escalation of a dispute over pay currently at an impasse.
Unite members at Princes factories across the UK have been taking part in industrial action since December, having rejected a 3% pay offer from the supplier’s new owner Newlat.
Staff at a Princes’ drinks facility in Cardiff walked out on two occasions before Christmas, while further walkouts have taken place in Cardiff, Bradford, Glasgow, Long Sutton and Wisbech this month.
Talks between the two parties ended fruitlessly in December, with Unite members pushing for Newlat to honour an agreement struck with previous owner Mitsubishi.
And Princes today (23 January) threatened to withdraw its 3% pay offer if Unite announced further strike action next month.
“Unite’s unrealistic and unjustified position is extremely harmful to our company and our colleagues in the UK,” said Princes chairman Angelo Mastrolia. “Should Unite confirm the strike schedule for February, Princes will be forced to withdraw the 3% offer.”
If strike action continued, Princes would be “compelled to transfer part of our branded production to other facilities, including those abroad,” Mastrolia said. This, he warned, “could mean a need to reduce jobs at our UK sites”.
“This is a very real risk, which benefits neither the workers nor the company,” he added.
Despite the stalemate with Unite, Princes sought to reassure consumers there was no risk of shortages of its products. All affected sites had “contingency plans in place” to ensure continuation of supply, it said.
Unite meanwhile, condemned Princes’ “union-busting” approach to resolving the dispute.
“If Princes thinks its threats will weaken workers’ resolve it has another thing coming,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham. “This is appalling behaviour from a shameful company. First it pulled the rug from under our members by reneging on a pay deal and now it is threatening their jobs with these union-busting tactics.”
“Unite won’t stand for such tactics and will be backing our members every step of the way in their dispute.”
Princes this week announced it had reached a mutual agreement with the GMB union for a 3% pay increase for members across a number of its UK sites.
GMB members at factories in Erith and Belvedere have been awarded the pay backdated to April 2024.
“I am grateful to the GMB union for their constructive approach to the negotiations and their understanding of the wider economic challenges faced by the business,” Mastrolia said.
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