UNITE accused coffee giant Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) today of planning to prevent workers from taking summer holidays in a bid to undermine an overtime ban in an ongoing fire-and-rehire dispute. The union said that bosses at the JDE factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire, had sent a letter to staff setting out conditions for applications for leave, which may be refused if production is at risk. Unite branded the move an “underhand ploy” to weaken support for a continuous overtime ban announced earlier this month and due to start on May 1. On April 16, members also voted to strike after the Dutch-owned company issued notice of dismissal and re-engagement to 291 employees. Walkouts are expected in June if bosses do not back down.