Whisky workers strike at distillery over job losses

Distillery workers started weeks of strikes today after multinational drinks giant Diageo demanded redundancies.

GMB Scotland members picketed Cameronbridge distillery in Fife on the first of 16 planned strike days after workers accused the company of failing to consult on planned job losses.

Seventy-two distillery operators have been told that ten of them will lose their job at the plant as part of a huge global redundancy programme planned by the company.

Members of GMB voted for industrial action at the distillery, which makes whisky, gin, and vodka, after accusing executives of failing to properly consult on the job losses.

Daniel Reid, GMB Scotland organiser in the drinks industry, said strikes reveal the frustration of a skilled and committed workforce faced by unlistening management.

He said a seven-hour meeting between unions and management on Sunday only confirmed the company’s failure to seriously engage with workers.

He said: “There has been no genuine attempt to listen to the concerns of workers at any point in this process.

“On Sunday, we detailed a number of proposals with the potential to deliver the savings demanded by the company and every one was rejected out of hand.

“There was no engagement with the concerns of our members and no meaningful discussion of a fairer way forward.”

The unions have informed the company of 16 more strike days targeting specific operations at the Fife plant and are planning more action.

Reid said: “The company clearly had a plan and its idea of consulting is to repeatedly tell workers what that plan is.

“That is the opposite of consultation and cannot stand. We would urge them to rejoin negotiations and begin listening to the concerns and proposals of their workers.”

The strikes in Fife come after GMB members at Diago distilleries in the Highlands and islands where 38 jobs are at risk voiced concern over the lack of consultation.

Workers said there had been no serious attempt to engage with them over the redundancies and no agreement has been reached on the number of job losses or the process.

ENDS