Beer and crisp shortage fears for August bank holiday due to strike action
16 August 2021, 10:02
Around 1,000 draymen, who are responsible for 40 per cent of deliveries, are set to go on strike.
Brits could now be facing a beer and crisp shortage, just in time for the August bank holiday.
With 1,000 delivery workers going on strike, pubs and restaurants in the UK are at risk of running out of their best sellers over the last weekend of the month.
The draymen, who are responsible for 40 per cent of beer deliveries to pubs, are set to walk out over pay rows.
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The Unite union claim they lost up to £10,000 in a year due to furloughing in lockdown.
The employees - who work for firm GXO Logistics Drinks - have voted to go on strike, with these 24 hour walk outs taking place on August 24 and September 2.
They will also ‘work to rule’ from August 24 until November 15, which means overtime is banned.
Unite’s Joe Clarke said: “Our members have suffered great financial hardship so voting almost unanimously for this action is no surprise.
“Now industrial action looms for late August, we call, once again, for the company to engage in meaningful negotiations regarding a decent pay increase for our members.”
Mr Clarke previously explained: “A beer drought could result if our members vote for industrial action because they make 40 percent of the beer deliveries in the country.
“This disruption would be on top of the ‘pingdemic’ that is already hitting the sector.”
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And it’s not just beer that could run low, as there are currently delays with crisp deliveries too.
This is because HGV driver numbers have dropped significantly due to Brexit and the ongoing pandemic.
Staff shortages have meant supermarkets and the hospitality sector have had to miss deliveries.
In a bid to allow for longer journeys, the Government has temporarily extended drivers’ permitted working time from nine to ten hours.
