Supermarkets may face wine shortages during the summer, as major wine supplier Encirc deals with strikes over staff pay.

Factory workers in the Unite union, responsible for bottling and packaging red, rosé, white and sparkling wine in Avonmouth, Bristol are disputing current pay levels.

Encirc is a major supplier of wine in the UK, and the strike is set to disrupt the wider supply chain. It could potentially affect supermarket supplies.

Unite regional officer John Sweeney said: “There is no doubt that this action will hit supermarket shelves. 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.

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“Management has constantly refused to engage meaningfully. Encirc needs to return to the negotiating table with a vastly improved offer.”

According to Unite, the wine distributor earned over £600 million last year but only provided a 3.2% pay increase, which led to Unite members voting in favour of a strike. A discussion initiated by Encirc with conciliation service Acas followed. However, the parties did not come to an agreement.

The factory workers threatened to strike between 19 June and 5 July, selecting dates and work shifts that would leave the biggest impact. Additionally, there will be a 12-week pause on overtime work.

“We are incredibly disappointed with this planned industrial action,” said Encirc in a statement. “Encirc purchased the Bristol site just under two years ago and over that time we have worked hard to not only uplift pay and conditions, but to begin the process of integrating our businesses and creating a truly great place to work.

“If this latest pay offer was accepted, we would have increased pay for our Bristol-based site by more than 16% in less than two years. There are few companies in our sector globally who have done the same for their people.

“Our final offer includes a cost-of-living increase and pension contribution improvements.  As a company we are resolute in our efforts to remain competitive whilst doing the best for our people, and we firmly believe that our offer was fair and proportionate.

“As such, at a time when we are already facing so many challenges, and need certainty for our customer base, this really is unexpected.

“Nevertheless, we will mitigate any impact this action could have, and we remain open to dialogue with the union in good faith.”

The alcohol industry in the UK is facing mounting pressure as it deals with additional tariffs and Brits are also scaling back on alcohol to offset rising inflation, a recent study revealed.