CCEP Wakefield workers to strike in June over pay

(Reuters) – Hundreds of workers at Coca Cola Europacific Partners’ soft drink plant in Wakefield, the largest in Europe, are set to strike in June over pay offers, Britain’s Unite union said on Thursday.

The strike action will be for 14 days between June 8 and June 22, according to the union.

“While Unite has chosen to proceed with industrial action, we remain fully committed to maintaining talks with our colleagues at our Wakefield site … we have robust contingency measures in place and are confident that there will be no disruption to our trade customers,” CCEP said.

The development comes as workers across sectors demand wage hikes in tune with elevated levels of inflation.

Britain’s stubbornly high inflation rate fell by less than expected last month and a closely watched measure of core price rises surged to a 31-year high, according to official data earlier this week.

(Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)