Cider support

Unite is committed to providing every support for workers at the Shepton Mallet Cider after a mass meeting today (January 29) over the planned closure of the historic factory.

The union, which represents the 120-strong workforce at the Somerset site, is keen to encourage buyers to come forward to purchase the profitable plant; safeguard jobs and carry on a cider producing tradition stretching back to 1770.

The owners — C&C – have blamed tough competition in the UK and Ireland in recent years, which has pushed prices lower and means the affected sites are running at only a third of their capacity.

Workers met to explore avenues aimed at retaining cider-making, including the well-known brands – Blackthorn and Olde English –  following a strong groundswell of support local and regionally.

“The site is a profitable one and has been for many years,” said Unite regional coordinating officer Steve Preddy. “In 2014, there was a 17.1 million euro profit for its business group within the C&C Group. Overall, the Irish-based company returned a profit of about 116 million euros.

Decent profit

“Currently this year the cider mill is on target again to make a decent profit for the group.

“It is quite clear that the Shepton Mallet site is a profitable, going concern and the workers are being sacrificed to generate cash for the company, following a bad investment in a US cider manufacturer.

Unacceptable capitalism

“This is the unacceptable face of international capitalism and Unite is calling for a similar drinks organisation to take over Shepton Mallet Cider,” Preddy added.

“It has a loyal, long-standing workforce steeped in the cider-making tradition and who are eager to carry it on into the 21^st century.

No need for closure

“There is no need for the site to close at the end of the summer with production moving to the Magners plant in Clonmel in the Irish Republic,” Preddy went on to say. “Only fruit will continue to be pulped at Shepton Mallet, but then shipped to Ireland.

“Unite, on behalf of its members, would like to thank the people and organisations of Shepton Mallet and across the West Country for their support for the cider mill to continue. This has been very heartening, but we now need to move to the next campaigning stage.”

 

The planned summer closure would see the canning, bottling and kegging production lines moving to Ireland. It is not known how many will be left for the pulping operation that currently employs only two full-time workers.

Stay tuned on UniteLIVE for more updates on the future of the historic factory.