Outsourced staff working for Greene King agree new pay deal

13-Dec-2023 - Last updated on 14-Dec-2023 at 11:21 GMT

Deal struck: Unite union members contracted at a Greene King factory have agreed a pay rise offer

GXO staff members who are contracted by Greene King as lorry drivers and warehouse workers have agreed a new pay deal after going on strike on days last week and at the end of November.

The new pay deal has been secured after the staff members, who are also members of the Unite union, had arranged to take part in industrial action Strikes on 23 November for 24 hours, followed by longer strikes on 30 November until 1 December and between 6 and 8 December.

About 30 employees at logistic firm GXO, which is an outsourced contractor working on behalf of Greene King, took part in strikes over the six-day period at the Runcorn factory where they are based. The workers involved in the dispute were HGV drivers, drivers’ mates and warehouse staff.

The employees involved had been offered a 4% pay rise before agreeing to take action.

Pay rises by at least 8%

Following the strikes, GXO agreed to increase pay by between 8% and 9.4%, backdated to July 2023, and a further increase of 6% in April 2024. Unite members voted unanimously to accept the pay offer.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an excellent victory for the workers in GXO’s Runcorn factory, which was made possible by workers acting in unity and being prepared to take strike action.

“This victory shows yet again the power of a union and the winning mentality of Unite.”

Unite regional officer John McColl added: “Our members have won their battle for a well-deserved pay rise and should be congratulated. GXO and Greene King finally saw sense and offered a fair increase.

“Our members will no doubt be raising a glass of festive cheer following this result.”

Contingency plans

A Greene King spokesperson said: “We're pleased that GXO and Unite have reached a solution and we look forward to continuing to deliver a great Christmas for customers in our pubs.”

While last month, a GXO spokesperson added: “We believe our proposal is very fair and we remain committed to maintaining an open dialogue with our employees and their representatives at all times.

“In the meantime, we are working closely with Greene King to ensure deliveries are maintained.”