Wine shortage to hit UK this summer as all major supermarkets could be affected

Over 200 Unite members at the Encirc site in Avonmouth, Bristol, are set to strike between June 19 and July 5 - with the company supplying all UK major supermarkets with wine
Brits have been warned supermarket shelves could be left empty of wine this summer, as factory workers at a major bottling company are planning to strike. Over 200 Unite members at the Encirc site in Avonmouth, Bristol, are set to strike over pay and collective bargaining between June 19 and July 5.
Members at the factory work across different areas, including bottling and packaging red, white, rose and sparkling wine and distributing it from warehouses. The company supplies all the major supermarkets with wine, which is the most popular alcoholic drink in the UK. According to Unite, Encirc is a "very profitable company" with a turnover of over £600million, supplying all the big supermarkets with bottles, box and bags of wine.
‌
‌
Unite says the firm has only offered its workers a 3.2 per cent pay rise without negotiating with Unite and has now repeatedly stated from now on it will only give pay rises tied to inflation.
Unite says this effectively means removing Unite's collective bargaining rights, as any pay increases will be set by Encirc without negotiations before being imposed on workers. Previously, the union had been able to negotiate with management on pay.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Encirc's meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need. This is a very lucrative company that can fully afford to pay its workers properly but it is choosing not to.
"Unite will not stand idly by and allow Encric to steal our members hard won rights. Encirc workers deserve better and they have Unite's full support throughout this dispute."
Strikes will take place between June 19 and 5 July - with workers in different parts of the business taking strike action on different dates and times according to production schedules to have the biggest impact. There will also be a 12-week overtime ban as part of the action, the union said.
Unite regional officer John Sweeney said: "There is no doubt that this action will hit supermarket shelves. While shortages may be frustrating for customers looking to enjoy a bottle of wine this summer, the situation is entirely of Encirc's own making.
"Management has constantly refused to engage meaningfully. Encirc needs to return to the negotiating table with a vastly improved offer."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mirror

4 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Heinz launches new ketchup in UK but ditches two major ingredients

For those looking to make more health consious choices, Heinz has released a brand new ketchup called Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero but it's missing two key ingredients Heinz has released a brand new tomato ketchup recipe for health conscious fans - and it's packed with even more tomatoes, but it's missing two key components. The famous Tommy K sauce is perfect to dunk your chips, layer onto a burger or squirt into your bacon sandwich, and now the brand new Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero is promising a richer and bolder taste with zero added sugar and salt. ‌ But when you think of items with no salt or sugar, you tend to assume it won't be as tasty. However to combat this, Heinz have packed 35% more tomatoes into each bottle, so the taste isn't compromised with zero sugar and salt and it's great for those looking to make more conscious health choices. ‌ The brand have listened to their customers, and Heinz's latest sauce innovation comes after a recent survey of 50,000 Brits revealed that the number one attribute sought when deciding what to eat or drink was healthier choices with less sugar and salt. It means it's met the demand for healthier foods by turning up the tomato and turning down the added salt and sugar. It's clear ketchup fans are impressed, as a taste test study revealed 9 in 10 people said Heinz Zero Added Sugar & Salt Tomato Ketchup delivers on the iconic quality they expect from the brand Alexandra Bayet, Head of Innovation for Tomato Ketchup, Europe said: "Consumers expect 'Zero' products to fall flat on flavour – because 'Zero' often means 'less'. We wanted to turn that on its head and create a ketchup that's all about more of what you love, even with fewer ingredients. "Developed using our 150-year sauce know-how, taste expertise and containing 35% more sun-ripened tomatoes, grown especially for Heinz, our new Heinz Zero Added Sugar & Salt Tomato Ketchup, delivers a bold, satisfying taste that lives up to the standard set by our iconic original. "So, whether you're choosing Zero or Classic, you can be confident it will taste like Heinz. And when it comes to ketchup, of course It Has To Be Heinz". ‌ It comes after Heinz recently axed their tartare sauce but revamped it and launched Fish & Chips Sauce, also known as 'Tartare 2.0'. The ingredients include gherkins, dill, salt, parsley and mustard. While the bottle wears the 'Fish & Chips Sauce' label, the ingredients are listed in a style that's similar to the classic tartare sauce. On the packaging, Heinz has also listed it as 'Tartare Sauce', bringing back the nostalgia. The Tartare sauce has been a classic to seafood dishes like the fish and chips, and Heinz has described the new condiment as 'fresh and herby' which was 'posed to become Britain's new go-to pairing for fish dinners - and, of course, the nation's beloved dish, fish & chips.'

Daily Mirror

7 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Brits could see summer holiday spending boost - see full list of destinations

The strength of the pound against most other currencies has boosted Brits' spending power when they head abroad this summer, research had found, in some cases by a lot Millions of Brits planning foreign holidays this summer will be quids in thanks to the pound's strength, a recent report has found. Sterling's gain against a host of currencies has boosted families' spending power - in some cases by a lot. For instance, the pound's 30% rise against the lira in the past year means holidaymakers jetting to Turkey will have a bumper £116 more to spend for every £500. That is equivalent to a couple of three course meals for two, with wine, in the Turkish resort of Marmaris, plus four beers. Those considering a long-haul break to Mexico will have almost £57 per £500 extra thanks to a near 13% increase against the peso, according to the Post Office Travel Money's Holiday Spending Report. ‌ ‌ It reveals that the UK pound is stronger than a year ago against 25 of the 30 currencies and has gained ground against 80% of them since March. Others in the top 10 list of spending power gainers include Egypt, Australia, and New Zealand. Brits thinking of a trip to the States will also get more bang for their buck thanks to sterling's 6.6% rise against the US dollar, meaning they would have almost £31 per £500 more to spend than this time last year. Despite that, many people are seemingly having second thoughts about going on holiday to the USA. The main concern is that US President Donald Trump 's trade tariffs will mean higher prices - cited by 78% of those polled - rather than his politics in general. Those heading to Europe will also be better off, though not by so much. Sterling is just 0.9% up against the euro year-on-year, meaning Brits have £4.50 per £500 more spending power across the pond than last summer. The Post Office report also found a sharp rise in the number of people planning trips abroad. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they intend to take a foreign holiday this year , with more than half having already booked their trip. That is despite growing concerns voiced by nine-in-ten of them about whether they have enough money to afford the trip. Over three-quarters said exchange rates were a big concern for them. When it came to people's views on the best value destinations, Brit-favourite Spain came top, followed by Turkey, Thailand, Portugal, Greece and Italy. When it came to their trip abroad, 82% of holidaymakers said they had set a budget averaging £377, but most admitted overspending. ‌ Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, which accounts for one-in-four UK foreign exchange transactions, said: 'This year's holiday spending research again demonstrates that holidaymakers don't always set a realistic budget and overspend by large amounts as a result. It's great to hear that holidaymakers are already planning to budget more for their holidays this year, to avoid coming unstuck when they arrive at their destination.' The report also found that many holidaymakers are paying over the odds for transactions abroad. While it advisable to carry some cash overseas, one-in-five in the survey said relied solely on plastic to pay for purchases, and just over a quarter changed less than £100 into foreign currency. As a consequence, holidaymakers can into difficulties. From the poll, 7% said they had tried to pay a restaurant, shop or bar bill with a credit card, only to find that it was not accepted. More than one-in-ten also fell foul of a practice known as Dynamic Currency Conversion by agreeing to pay on their card in sterling rather than local currency, incurring unnecessary transaction charges as a result. Ms Plunkett said: 'Paying on a debit or credit card may seem like a convenient way to pay for things while abroad, but our research suggests that this can be a costly practice. Far too many holidaymakers told us that they paid significantly more than they anticipated because of the transaction charges made for using credit and debit cards at an overseas ATM."

BBC News

9 hours ago

• BBC News

Some refuse workers will lose money

The leader of Birmingham City Council has admitted for the first time some refuse workers will lose money under plans to reform the workers who are members of Unite the Union have been in a stand-off with the Labour-run council over proposed changes to roles and pay, since January. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, council leader John Cotton said he "absolutely understood" there would be "implications for individuals", but the authority had to "implement job evaluation fairly across the council". Unite claims 170 workers face an annual pay cut of £8,000, but the authority has said only 17 members of staff lose up to £6,000 - something Cotton had not acknowledged publicly. Cotton stressed that the council continued to negotiate with Unite in order to find a "reasonable settlement" to "reflect the workforce's concerns".He denied claims from Unite that the deal to end the dispute had been "watered down" and said the authority had provided a "fair and reasonable offer", which was being discussed by arbitration body Acas. All-out strike action in the city began on 11 March and rubbish has continued to pile up on streets, but securing a legal injunction in May enabled more bin lorries to to be brought in to clear the mountains of bin bags."Regarding the city as a whole, since we secure the injunction and have been able to deploy our available fleet we have collected 33,498 tonnes and average 1,288 per day which includes weekends," a spokesperson for the city council said."We have cleared the backlog so are now able to continue to implement our contingency plan, providing residents with one collection each week." 'Avoid repeating mistakes' The leader of the Labour-run authority described the situation as "incredibly frustrating" and said it continued to urge Unite to accept the offer it had placed on the table. "This strike needs to end so we can carry on with transforming the waste service and ensuring everyone gets the services they're entitled to," Cotton the council leader added that he had "set some straight red lines" to avoid "repeating some of the mistakes that happened in the past"."We have had to take a look at the grading of the driver roles, that is part of the process we have signed up to together with the trade unions, it is a recognised methodology for evaluating jobs."He said a negotiated settlement was "in everyone's interest" and it would allow the council to "get back to the business of improving the waste service in the city". Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.