Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessHR strategyJob creation and lossesDownsizing

Union fury over ‘ruthless’ Scottish & Newcastle decision to axe jobs and close Reading brewery

by Greg Pitcher 14 Feb 2008
by Greg Pitcher 14 Feb 2008

Trade union Unite has hit out at Scottish & Newcastle’s “ruthless” decision to close its Reading brewery

The troubled drinks company announced plans earlier this week to close the site with the loss of up to 362 jobs.

Unite insisted the prospect of a £7.8bn takeover bid from Carlsberg and Heineken was behind the closure plans.

“We are shocked at the ruthless decision to close the biggest brewery in the UK. Scottish & Newcastle take this decision at a time when it is recommending an offer of 800 pence per share made by the Carlsberg/Heineken consortium. We believe the decision is based on pure shareholder greed and cannot be justified any other way,” said a spokesman.

The brewer has opened consultations with employees at the Reading site, and pledged to make “every effort” to find them other work.

Group operations director Stephen Glancey said: “It is well documented that there is general over-capacity in the UK brewing sector, and these proposals have been put in place to address this issue.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“The nature of the Reading site, the amount of investment required to make it competitive and its relative cost compared to other UK facilities means that there is a strong business case for closure.”

The Reading site is not due for closure until 2010.




Greg Pitcher

previous post
Dartford becomes first UK council to outsource complete HR function
next post
Diversity awareness scheme for local authorities launched by IDeA

You may also like

Government publishes ‘roadmap’ for Employment Rights Bill

1 Jul 2025

Ethnicity and disability pay gaps: Ready to report?...

1 Jul 2025

Government moves swiftly on immigration reform

1 Jul 2025

One in eight senior NHS managers from black...

1 Jul 2025

Government launches ‘landmark’ review of parental leave

1 Jul 2025

Clarks cuts 1,200 jobs after ‘year of transition’

1 Jul 2025

How HR can support families with adoption

1 Jul 2025

Co-op equal pay claims move onto next stage

30 Jun 2025

‘Be direct’ to avoid escalating conflict, advises Acas

30 Jun 2025

Reforming paternity leave could benefit UK by £13bn...

30 Jun 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+