AROUND 200 employees of a Carlisle can manufacturer will continue their strike action over a three per cent pay offer dispute.  

Crown Bevcan, a soft and alcoholic drink can manufacturer on Borland Avenue, will see their employees, who have already taken two days of strike action, make another stand for nine days during June. 

Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the June pay strikes will hit summer supplies of cans of Coca Cola, Heineken, Brewdog, Magners and Bulmers. 

READ MORE: Employees from Crown Bevcan commit to strike action

Demands are being made that the manufacturer meets a pay deal that accurately reflects what is being felt by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis - of which the initial three per cent offer was deemed unsatisfactory. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Crown Bevcan in Carlisle is part of a hugely profitable business empire. It can easily afford to pay workers a wage that will help combat this punishing living costs crisis. Yet once again, business puts its greed ahead of the workers’ needs, rewarding shareholders while telling workers to take a pay cut. This is just not acceptable to Unite.

"Our members at Crown Bevcan Carlisle have the union’s absolute backing in their fight for fair pay," she said. 

Crown Bevcan is part of the Crown Holdings group - according to Unite, in 2021, Crown Holdings’ net sales came to more than £8.4 billion, with around £2 billion brought in by the group’s European division - with their financial report for 2021, the company boasts that its ‘adjusted earnings per share increased by 29 per cent over the previous year and by 47 per cent over the three-year period beginning in 2019’.

Unite regional officer Malcolm Carruthers said: "These strikes will impact day and night shifts at the factory, potentially leaving Crown Bevcan unable to fulfil its orders and will escalate if the dispute is not resolved. 

"There is still time to avoid industrial action but that requires the company to return to the negotiating table with an offer that meets our members' expectations," he said. 

The employees will commit to strike action on  4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of June. 

READ MORE: Manufacturer set for strike action following 'unacceptable' pay rise