Fears of a shortage of beer in the New Year have been raised after workers threatened possible strike action over pay.
Union chiefs claim 1,700 members of staff at GXO Logistics haven’t been paid properly due to a new payroll system.
They say workers have experienced consistent shortfalls in their wages and overtime payments for the last nine months.
Draymen for GXO transport booze to 20,000 pubs, clubs and restaurants, and are responsible for 40% of Heineken and other beer deliveries.
Some 99% of Unite the Union members backed a full vote for industrial action next month in a consultative ballot.
Members affected by the payroll problems are employed on the GXO primary and secondary logistics contracts.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is completely unacceptable.
“The payroll system brought in by GXO is a complete mess that has caused great anxiety as wages are either short and/or not paid on time. GXO bosses need to get this sorted out quickly.
“A ballot for strike action could lead to deliveries being severely disrupted in 2022.”
Unite national officer for the food industry Joe Clarke said: “The depth of anger that our members feel about being ‘short changed’ for the last nine months was reflected in the near unanimous vote for a strike ballot.
“It is time to end this payroll chaos.”
A spokesperson for GXO said: “Our employees are our top priority. We are aware of payroll processing issues that have impacted some of our colleagues and appreciate this may have caused concern.
“We take this matter very seriously and are actively engaging with affected colleagues, managers and staff representatives on a case by case basis to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
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A planned walk-out by GXO draymen in August - which could've caused chaos over the Bank Holiday weekend - was called off after workers were offered a 4% pay rise.
The company had previously offered staff a wage increase of 1.4% but United called this "paltry" and said it is "well below the current RPI inflation rate of 3.9%".
Around 1,000 drivers were due to strike for 24 hours from 10am on August 24, with a second 24-hour walk-out on September 2 also scrapped.
Asda is also facing possible strike action in the New Year, after thousands of warehouse distribution workers voted in favour of a ballot.
Union group GMB said the latest move towards a strike came after Asda “failed to offer distribution staff a meaningful pay offer - with inflation running at a 10-year high”.
Tesco saw strike action over the Christmas period suspended about union chiefs at Usdaw secured an improved pay offer for workers at the supermarket.
Strike action would've affected nine distribution centres.
It comes after Tesco separately reached agreement with Unite the previous week, averting industrial action at four further warehouses.
