Gloucestershire's Muller dairy staff go on strike over rotas

Workers are calling on the firm to abide by its original agreement not to change their rota pattern

Workers at dairy firm Muller's factory in Gloucestershire have gone on strike in a row over "excessive" rota changes.

Union bosses say the firm has broken an agreement with up to 70 lorry drivers and shunters at its Stonehouse site.

The staff, who are responsible for delivering milk and cream to M&S and Waitrose nationwide, began the first of two three-day strikes earlier.

Muller stressed the dispute was not over pay and plans were in place to ensure deliveries were unaffected.

Another three-day walkout is planned from next Thursday and the union Unite said more strikes would take place if the dispute cannot be resolved.

Unite regional officer Amy Roberts said: "Muller is acting in very bad faith and this behaviour will now impact their customers. Our members are resolute in their determination to force the company to abide by the original agreement.

Nearly 70 workers began a walkout on Thursday in a dispute over changes to their rotas

"They will not stand for such attacks on their work/life balance. Muller needs to scrap these excessive rota demands."

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But Muller said the rota changes were introduced to reflect the evolving needs of its business and a "small number of logistics employees" had voted in favour of industrial action.

"It is important to stress that these changes do not relate to pay and we have thorough plans in place to ensure that deliveries of dairy products to our customers will not be affected," a spokesman said.

Unite disputed this and said the changes go against the agreement Muller made earlier this year regarding rotas.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The company has deliberately broken an agreement ratified with Unite earlier this year that expressly stated rotas would not change."

Unite warned the strikes might also disrupt the supply chain of milk products to M&S, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

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