Union leaders at drinks giant Diageo will today launch a strike ballot over a below-inflation pay offer to staff.
GMB Scotland said it was calling on the company to “get real on workers’ pay” after it announced pre-tax profits of £4.235 billion. The company also announced a £4.5 billion buyback offer for shareholders.
It comes after the union’s 1,000 Diageo members rejected a 2.5 per cent increase to the basic rate of pay by a 95 per cent majority in a consultative ballot earlier this month. A further offer of 2.8 per cent tabled in meetings with arbitration service ACAS last week was also rejected.
Should members back a strike, the union is claiming it would halt manufacturing of whisky and white spirits at Diageo’s bottling operations at Leven and Shieldhall, Europe’s largest grain distillery at Cameronbridge, and at 28 other distilleries across the country.
The ballot will close on Friday 16 August and strike action could take place as early as September.
GMB Scotland Organiser Keir Greenaway said: “If whisky and spirits manufacturing has been good for the Scottish economy then it has been exceptional for Diageo.
“Last week’s pre-tax profit of well over £4billion is staggering and a £4.5 billion share buyback bounty means it’s boom time for the fat cat executives and investors.”
He said Diageo was an international business which owed its reputation to Scottish workers. “Much of Diageo’s credibility is built on the back of Scotland and our working class and rural communities that distil, mature, store and bottle their lucrative range of whiskies and white spirits.
“Why has the company low-balled these workers’ with pay offers that fail to tackle the cost of living? If any business can afford to ensure its pay regime tackles the cost of living then it’s Diageo.
“It’s time Diageo got real on their workers’ pay and showed them the respect they deserve.”
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