Drinks firm Diageo accused of betraying Scots workers

Drinks giant Diageo has been accused of planning to move out of Scotland just to threaten workers.

Unite the union claimed the company wanted to “divide and rule” by moving work around the globe to make Scottish workers afraid for their jobs.

At a meeting with Diageo this week, Unite pushed for more details of the plans to cut around 70 jobs from its Leven bottling plant and a further 35 from Shieldhall in Glasgow.

The multinational firm wants to move bottling to its plant in Italy and to trial production of Smirnoff vodka in the United States.

Diageo said the move follows the disposal of its wine business and the end of wine bottling contracts in Italy and is aimed at keeping both the Scottish and Italian plants open.

It is understood the Smirnoff trial in the USA is a separate issue which would not impact on jobs in Scotland.

Nevertheless, the proposals were condemned by the Scottish TUC Annual Congress in Aviemore yesterday, when delegates voted unanimously in favour of an emergency motion strongly opposing compulsory redundancies.

Unite regional officer Pat McIlvogue said: “For the six months to December last year Diageo made an incredible £2.1 billion. That was 16% up on the previous year.

“This is a shocking betrayal.”