Diageo workers at the group’s Cameronbridge distillery in Scotland are to extend their strike action after failed talks between unions and management over job cuts.
Last month, the Unite union said distillery staff would walk out from 28 September, and specific groups would strike “thereafter” up to just before 6am UK time on 15 October.
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The walkout at the site in eastern Scotland is being “widened”, the union said today (2 October), with “strike action involving all members” to take place across 12, 15, 19 and 22 October.
In a statement, Unite said the “escalation” responds “to Diageo management reaffirming its threat to push through compulsory redundancies during the course of meetings this week”.
When Unite and fellow trade union GMB announced plans for strikes at Cameronbridge in September, Diageo confirmed the redundancies affected ten of the 72 staff engaged in “grain distilling” – but said only eight would be affected as two of the positions were vacant.
Meanwhile, in August, GMB said Diageo had put hundreds of jobs at risk of redundancy at Diageo’s distilleries across the Scottish Highlands and Islands “and warned 38 could lose their job as part of a huge global redundancy programme”.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “Diageo’s behaviour toward its loyal and skilled workforce at Cameronbridge is disgraceful. It is making hundreds of millions of profit on the back of our members’ hard work. Its sole objective appears to be squeezing even more out of them which is completely unacceptable. Our members will fight these unnecessary jobs cuts every step of the way.”
In a letter sent to members on Wednesday (30 September) after talks with Diageo, GMB organiser Daniel Reid claimed the Johnnie Walker whisky brand owner had “chosen to escalate this dispute by pushing forward to individual consultation on its proposals”.
Reid added: “Over the last three months, your reps have continued to challenge the company’s plans and put forward practical alternatives. Despite this, the company has chosen not to properly consider the concerns, ideas, and solutions raised by the workforce.”
A Diageo spokesperson told Just Drinks today the business was “disappointed with the decision to strike” and said the company did not expect product availability to be disrupted by the walkout.
“The proposal to remove up to ten roles at Cameronbridge Distillery is a difficult but necessary step as we maintain reduced production volumes,” they said, in a similar statement to what it shared last month.
“This approach protects the long-term competitiveness of our business. We remain open to constructive dialogue with our employees and their representatives throughout this process.”
When asked whether Diageo was planning to hold further talks with the unions at this stage, the spokesperson said: “We remain open to constructive dialogue with the unions and will look at any proposals they share seriously.”
The Cameronbridge distillery produces some of the company’s Scotch brands and other spirits brands like Smirnoff vodka and Gordon’s gin.
In August, the Guinness stout maker set out a plan to extract $1bn in savings from the business over the next three years.
The group’s latest annual report shows the business cut almost 2,000 roles in its last financial year as part of a move to reduce costs and boost its performance.
