The union Unite said that its members had voted to accept a second revised package put forward by the management. In July the employees rejected a previous deal put forward by the brewer. In May 97% of employees voted in favour of strike action.
The dispute centred on the 455-strong workforce at the brewery being reemployed on what Unite called “inferior pay and conditions”, with pay for 184 brewery technicians reduced by up to £9,000-a-year. The union said a key issue was new “radical” shift patterns that it said means staff spend 335 days per year either working or at home and contactable to come into work at 23 hours notice.
The new deal includes:
• pay reduction of £862 from 1 January 2014 and £862 from 1 January 2015 for all workers previously facing cuts of up to £9,000-a-year in their pay
• generous severance/redundancy payments available for all workers facing a pay cut
• radical shift proposals - which could have been changed at 24 hours notice and workers called in while on holiday - are completely withdrawn
• pay protection not only fully retained, but temporarily improved until 2017.
Unite regional officer Rick Coyle said: “This workforce stunned Molson Coors by the strength, determination and scale of the solidarity they displayed.
“The 97 per cent vote in favour of strike action will never be forgotten. Unite is proud to have delivered an honourable outcome for members in a dire situation that originally saw some workers face losing their homes.”
A spokesperson for Molson Coors said: “We are pleased with the result of Friday’s vote, which will allow us to continue with our plans to build a sustainable future for brewing in Burton so that we can compete in a challenging marketplace.
"We would like to thank our employees for their patience and support over the consultation period and Unite for the positive contribution it has made to these vital negotiations.”