My Goodness, No Guinness!
Christmas stout drought as bosses “put profits before people”
Reading time: 3 min
The UK is facing a Guinness zero drought this Christmas as workers at the company’s Belfast brewery announced eight days of strikes this December in a dispute over pay.
The workers who are members of Unite, will begin strike action on Friday 5 December and walkouts will continue until the early hours of Saturday 13 December.
The approximately 90 workers are demanding a substantial increase in pay to close the pay gap with Diageo employees at the company’s site in Runcorn, England.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Diageo is one of the largest and most profitable drinks companies in the world. It can fully afford to make workers a decent offer but has chosen to put profits before people.”
The Belfast site is the largest production site for Diageo’s highly successful Guinness zero product. This year Diageo reported net profits of more than $2.5 billion globally and a key driver of that success is Guinness Zero – the UK’s best-selling alcohol-free beer.
Regional officer Michael Keenan said, “Diageo’s Belfast site is the world’s biggest producer of Guinness Zero and this strike action will severely disrupt production lines in the run-up to Christmas. Management needs to stop disrespecting our members and return to the negotiating table with an offer that meets workers’ pay expectations.”
Unite is the biggest UK union representing workers in food, drink and agriculture (FDA). The sector covers many areas including – food manufacturing, food retail, drinks, licensees, agriculture, forestry commission, commonwealth and war graves and allied workers. You can find out more on the FDA website.
By Keith Hatch
