Supermarket wine supplies in the UK could be disrupted this summer as workers at the country’s largest wine bottling facility prepare to strike over pay and working conditions.
More than 200 staff at the Encirc plant in Bristol — which bottles nearly 300 million litres of wine annually and supplies all major supermarkets — are set to walk out from Thursday until 5 July, union Unite has confirmed. The site handles approximately 40 per cent of the UK’s wine bottling, including major brands such as Hardys, Villa Maria, McGuigan, and celebrity labels backed by Graham Norton and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Unite says the strike action will be staggered across various departments to maximise disruption. While immediate shortages are not expected due to existing stock and lead times in the supply chain, industry sources warn that a prolonged dispute could lead to shipping containers backing up at ports, with knock-on effects for wine availability later in the summer.
“This action will hit supermarket shelves,” said Unite regional officer John Sweeney. “While shortages may be frustrating for customers looking to enjoy a bottle of wine this summer, the situation is entirely of Encirc’s own making.”
The dispute centres on a 3.2 per cent pay rise offer from Encirc, owned by Spanish packaging firm Vidrala. Unite has criticised the proposal, as well as the company’s reported plans to link future pay increases to inflation and remove collective bargaining rights — a move the union says would weaken workers’ ability to negotiate.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, accused the company of prioritising profit over fairness. “Encirc’s meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need,” she said. “We will not stand idly by and allow Encirc to steal our members’ hard-won rights.”
Encirc’s Bristol facility is a key hub in the UK’s wine supply chain, particularly for imported wines shipped in bulk and bottled locally to cut costs and emissions. The company has promoted its site as one of the world’s most sustainable bottling operations, operating with zero waste and using 100 per cent renewable electricity.
In a statement, Encirc said it was “incredibly disappointed” by the industrial action and defended its pay offer, noting that wages at the site have increased by over 16 per cent in less than two years. “We remain open to dialogue with the union in good faith and are doing all we can to mitigate any impact on supply,” the company added.
With rival facilities such as Kingsland and Greencroft expected to increase output to compensate, industry experts remain uncertain whether they can meet national demand if the strike continues. Retailers and consumers alike will be watching closely as the dispute unfolds — with the prospect of empty wine shelves on the horizon.
