There are growing concerns that Bucks Fizz, a festive favorite, could run out this Christmas due to a “severe shortage” of orange juice.
Production of the popular holiday cocktail could be impacted as workers at a major juice factory in Cardiff go on strike over pay disputes. Nearly 200 employees at the Newlat factory are set to strike on December 17 and 24, which could lead to a nationwide shortage of orange juice – a key ingredient in the beloved Bucks Fizz.
Members of the Unite union at the factory are fighting to retain pay rises that were promised under the previous owners, Mitsubishi. These increases, ranging from 4 to 7 percent, were canceled after the factory was acquired by the Italian food giant Newlat, which also bought Princes Group. Newlat has only proposed a 3 percent pay rise, which workers have rejected, insisting they should receive what they were originally promised.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Newlat needs to come back to the negotiating table before its customers realize they won’t have any products on their shelves.” She stressed that workers are doing physically demanding jobs for low pay and deserve a fairer share of the profits.
Graham also believes that Newlat is trying to undercut the workers, stating, “Unite won’t stand for such behavior, and we’ll back our members in any dispute.”
The Welsh factory, which was bought by Princes in 1993 and later acquired by Newlat, employs around 250 people. Newlat is one of Europe’s largest food and drink manufacturers, reporting estimated profits of €188 million this financial year.
Other workers at Princes food factories, including those in Long Sutton, Wisbech, Bradford, and Glasgow, have also voted in favor of industrial action.
