Unite fights against brewery closure

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Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 02 Apr 2008 16:50

Unite union has launched a campaign to save the Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) brewery in Reading.

S&N says it is closing the Reading, Berkshire facility due to “over-capacity in the UK brewing industry”. The announcement closely follows its decision, announced in November, to close the bottling plant at the site.

If the brewery closure goes ahead, production will be transferred to other S&N sites such as Tadcaster, Dunston, and the Royal Brewery in Manchester, and 362 Reading workers would be at risk of losing their jobs.

“If management do not reverse this decision then we will step up our campaign and at this stage nothing will be ruled out, including industrial action,” explained Mick Pollek, regional organiser for Unite. “If this brewery closes it will have a devastating impact on the local economy of Reading. The site provides hundreds of workers and their families with a decent standard of living.”