USA: Scottish & Newcastle north-east distribution centre staff votes against a week-long strike

Staff at Scottish & Newcastle's north-east distribution centre in Washington have voted June 02 in favour of abandoning a proposed week-long walkout, The Morning Advertiser posted the same day.

Union representatives met with brewery chiefs and conciliatory group ACAS June 01 to hammer out a deal which would avoid industrial action planned to start June 05.

The proposals appear to have worked after staff voted three-to-one in favour of resolving the issue through arbitration.

S&N UK spokesman David Jones said: "We are delighted to confirm that union members voted overwhelmingly this morning - by more than three to one - in favour of resolving dispute through ACAS arbitration and consequently any threat of industrial action has been removed. So it's business as usual and, in World Cup parlance, a great result for our customers in North East!"

There had been fears that supplies of S&N favourites John Smith's, Fosters, Kronenburg and Strongbow could have been hit if the 130 or so staff at the depot had gone on strike for a week.

The action was mooted after six staff were dismissed in December for gross misconduct following investigations which showed they were guilty of falsifying time-keeping records and overloading delivery vehicles. Three have since been reinstated.

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