Union suspends Coca-Cola strike action

Workers at Coca-Cola Enterprise's (CCE) North London bottling plant have called off two six-hour strikes that were due to take place today.

The decision to suspend the industrial action followed the intervention of ACAS, the conciliation service.

More than 100 workers at the plant in Edmonton, North London, who are members of trade union Unite, were due to walk out in a dispute over what the union labelled CCE's "derisory" pay offer of two per cent.

Unite had claimed the offer was effectively a pay cut in real terms, after inflation and the looming VAT rise were taken into account.

Speaking of the move to suspend the strikes, Wayne King, the union's regional officer, said: "Unite is pleased that management are prepared to have rethink on this dispute.

"We hope that this will now lead to meaningful discussions and a fairer deal for our members, one which both reflects our members' contribution to the immense profitability of CCE and the punishing rise in the cost of living."

The union had planned a series of stoppages on Wednesdays and Thursday following the first walk-out. The ACAS move means CCE and the union will begin talks tomorrow (Thursday) in an attempt to thrash out a pay deal acceptable to both sides.

if talks fail, the union will go back to its members and see if they are willing to re-instate the strikes.

CCE had said last week the planned industrial action had been "extremely disappointing" and said it believed its proposed two per cent pay offer was "fair in the current climate".

A CCE spokeswoman said: "Throughout this dispute, Coca-Cola Enterprises has remained open to continuing a dialogue with all our employees and with the unions in an effort to reach a constructive outcome.

"On that basis we were happy to agree to the request from union officials to take part in talks at ACAS. We continue to believe that the pay offer we have made is fair in the current climate.

"The union's decision to suspend the planned industrial action at our Edmonton site is an essential and welcome move."