Fears of popular fizzy drink shortage as unions threaten strikes at Wakefield plant

Unite workers at Europe's biggest soft drinks plant in Wakefield are due to down tools next week.

The plant can produce 360,000 cans and 132,000 bottles an hour with hundreds of staff expected to join the walkout for 14 days starting on June 14.

Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Dr Pepper, Fanta, Fanta Lemon, Fanta Fruit Twist, Sprite, are all at risk.

The plant also produces Monster, Schweppes, Tonic, Diet Tonic, Bitter Lemon, Ginger Ale and Lemonade.

Union chiefs are in talks today with bosses to try and agree a new pay deal after they voted by 87 per cent to strike.

The wage deal at the moment is six per cent but workers are wanting more.

They also want a fairer share of the company's ‘mammoth profits’ to help with the cost of living.

CCEP (Coca Cola Europacific Partners) said that they ‘remain fully committed to maintaining talks with our colleagues at our Wakefield site and their representatives to secure a constructive outcome.’

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Coca Cola Europacific Partners made an astronomical £1.85 billion in profits but the company is delivering a real terms pay cut to the workers in Wakefield. It’s nothing short of corporate greed.”

Unite regional officer, Chris Rawlinson: “Unite reps are meeting the company today to demand a fairer share the soft drink maker’s profits. A refusal to use those mammoth profits to ease the cost of living pressure weighing down on workers will mean severe shortages of the UK’s favourite soft drinks.”

In reply, CCEP commented: "In the current economic climate, we believe the pay rises that we are offering are very competitive within the market place.

"We also provide substantial additional benefits and bonuses to our colleagues, altogether this is an average total package of £46,900 for a colleague at Wakefield.

"We have also made a £1,000 payment to all frontline colleagues in the past twelve months to support the current cost of living challenges. Our competitive rewards package includes our share save scheme and an opportunity to purchase additional days holiday.

"Almost 80% of our Wakefield colleagues invest in that scheme and benefit from our ongoing success as a business and 75% purchase additional holidays.

“We have a strong track record of supporting colleagues at our Wakefield site, allowing them to build their skills and develop their careers in a hi-tech, modern manufacturing operation, where we have invested more than £100m in the past five years alone.

“While Unite has chosen to proceed with industrial action, we remain fully committed to maintaining talks with our colleagues at our Wakefield site and their representatives to secure a constructive outcome. We have robust contingency measures in place and are confident that there will be no disruption to our trade customers.”