Drinks giant workers to take strike action after pay talks collapse

DIAGEO workers in Fife will strike later this month following the collapse of pay talks.

Industrial action will hit all of Diageo’s Scottish operations after union representatives served statutory notice to the company.

The drinks company has a number of sites i n Kirkcaldy and Leven, most notably its bottling plant at Banbeath and the distillery at Cameronbridge.

Strikes at Leven and Cameronbridge will run from 8am on September 18 and finish the following day at 7.59am.

The company – whose brands include Smirnoff, Bailey’s, Johnnie Walker and Guinness – said it had “well developed” contingency plans.

Last month, 80.5% of G M B ’s near-1,000 members supported strike action after months of pay talks ended with Diageo tabling a 2.8% final offer for staff across its Scottish operations. More than 500 Diageo employees are with Unite the union, which also backed strike action in the ballot.

Talks mediated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) collapsed after Diageo failed to improve its pay offer.

GMB Scotland organiser Keir Greenaway said: “Our campaign for a pay deal that beats the cost of living for our members and their families is a modest p r o p o s a l a g a i n st the backdrop of Diageo’s absolutely staggering financial results, which workers in Scotland have more than helped to deliver.”

Unite regional industrial officer Bob MacGregor claimed Diageo had made “minimal effort” to resolve the dispute.

A Diageo spokesman said the firm remained “committed to seeking a resolution” to the dispute.