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via Geoff Brown A joint meeting of the T&G, GMB and Amicus shop stewards representing workers employed by Interbrew have decided to ballot their membership across the four brewries in Great Britain for industrial action. The ballot has been instigated following the company’s refusal to accept national level bargaining, which the unions want so they can negotiate nationally on such issues as redundancy payments, transfers of work, closures and pensions. Interbrew recently provoked an outcry when it announced the closure of its Boddingtons factory in Manchester. The T&G’s national organiser for food and agriculture, Brian Revell, said after the shop stewards’ meeting: “For too long the company has been able to determine national issues without taking account of the interests of the workforce. The threatened closure of Boddingtons in Manchester cannot be anything other than a strategic company decision. If Interbrew can make decisions like that at a national level, there should be no reason why they shouldn’t discuss associated issues which directly impact on their workforce.” He said workers at the Interbrew sites in the UK will be balloted on the demand for national bargaining to cover “any issues which cannot be determined by local managers.” The sites include Magor near Newport in south Wales, Samlesbury near Preston in Lancashire and the Wellpark brewery in Glasgow. These sites produce premium brands in the UK, such as Stella Artois, so are crucial to the company. Jude Brimble, GMB National Officer for Food and Leisure said, “Our joint stand highlights the concerns our members share. Interbrew needs to treat its workforce with greater respect and consult with us, their unions, on a national scale. The days of divide and rule are over. The GMB has worked with the T&G again and again, achieving great results for our members. It’s time Interbrew worked with us.” The campaign to save Boddingtons continues. Manchester T&G organiser Franny Joyce said the Interbrew chief executive had refused to budge on closure despite the campaign pressure and the fact that the brand has grown by four per cent contributing to £16. 5 million profits. “Boddingtons is a profitable brewery but the decision to close was taken far away from Manchester,” he said. “Our people are fighting back. Who knows who might be next?” Manchester City Council, the Campaign for Real Ale, Arlene McCarthy, Labour MEP for the north west, Manchester Labour MP Graham Stringer and thousands of consumers are backing the “Save the Cream” campaign whose website continues to grow in popularity. ENDS Note to editors: the campaign websites are at www.savethecream.co.uk
For further information please call the T&G Press Office on 020 7611 2550 or the GMB Press Office on 020 8971 4224 |