Brake Brothers’ drivers and warehouse staff in Motherwell have secured a pay increase worth up to nearly 10% as the company looks to continue with its expansion plans.
The deal, negotiated with union Unite, sees pay increase by between 5.1-9.8% on the basic hourly wage for 400 Newhouse warehouse workers and distribution drivers.
An 88p increase will be applied to hourly rates of pay for all workers.
Unite said the deal also includes a one-off payment ranging from between £458 to £515, meaning the total pay package depending on hours worked alongside the bonus could mean workers taking home up to an extra £2,434.
The pay package will apply to wages from July but next year the pay anniversary date will be brought forward to April.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, said: “The Brake Brothers wage deal is another good pay win successfully negotiated for our members.
“It builds on the successes already made at the company and it clearly shows that Unite continues to deliver better jobs, pay and conditions for our members.”
Unite is also working with Brake Brothers on its development plans, which will see additional investment allocated towards an on site extension for next year.
The investment is designed to extend the Newhouse facility by 50,000 sq ft to enable the company’s growth in Scotland.
Plans for the initial expansion phase will see the creation of 50 jobs with the potential for this to grow by a further 100 new jobs.
The last time the union negotiated a pay increase with the company was in 2023, when staff saw salary increases of between 19.3% and 23.2% on the basic hourly wage, a £300 December bonus and access to an attendance bonus payment of £750.
At the time, Brake Brothers said it was “very pleased” it had reached a mutually agreed settlement; this time, the company said it would not comment.
Unite industrial officer Pat McIlvogue, said: “Unite is delighted to deliver another pay success for workers at Brake Brothers.
“The package is worth a substantial amount to workers over the coming nine months. It’s an exciting time to be part of Brake Brothers with the expansion of the Newhouse facility and we look forward to delivering even more success for our members.”
Brake Brothers provides wholesale food distribution services from the Newhouse facility to the hospitality and retail sectors.
