Coca-Cola, Stella shortages loom as West Yorkshire Lockwood Haulage workers to strike
There could be Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Stella and Heineken shortages, as 40 workers at Lockwood Haulage Ltd in West Yorkshire plan to strike next month in a dispute around pay.
The workers, Unite members based in Knottingley and South Kirby, have rejected a “miserly” 1% increase, applied across all grades and allowances, backdated to 1 March 2025, the union said.
They are forklift truck drivers and machine operators in Lockwood’s glass division, and will walk out in an all-out strike from 2 September.
Lockwood, a family-owned medium-sized business, has also said it will introduce an attendance-based bonus scheme, rather than pay increases. This would be £250 each quarter if they meet the attendance criteria, which workers believe will leave them financially worse off.
The cost-of-living crisis is impacting these workers, who previously worked for GXO before being transferred in March 2025 in a TUPE agreement and have not had a pay rise since October 2023, Unite said. They work four days on four days off and their salary includes weekend working, shift allowances, and bank holiday pay.
Unite has attended multiple meetings to try to reach an agreement but said Lockwood has failed to resolve the issue.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
The fact that workers have not had a pay rise in nearly three years is an absolute insult and to be now offered a measly one per cent is a further kick in the teeth.
Moving away from yearly increases to a bonus scheme is simply another way to shortchange our members at Lockwood. Unite will not allow this unacceptable attack on pay and our members have our full support in their industrial action.
Strike action will have a major impact on Lockwood’s customer Ardagh Glass and the household names it supplies which include Coca Cola, Budweiser, Stella and Heineken, and could lead to shortages of these products, according to the union. It also produces whiskey bottles for Jameson, J&B and Johnnie Walker as well as wine bottles.
Unite regional officer Jessica Sangha said:
Any strike action is completely the fault of Lockwood management, who have insulted our members with this paltry pay offer.
Industrial action can be avoided, but that relies on Lockwood coming back with improvements to the pay offer which our members will find acceptable.
Workers at the Knottingley site previously went on strike in July 2025 in a bid to gain Unite recognition after being transferred from GXO, where they had recognition, after Lockwood refused to recognise the union. Unite members won the dispute and the union is now formally recognised for collective bargaining at Lockwood.
The company has been contacted for comment.
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