Diageo says ‘business as usual’ as Belfast Guinness workers reject pay offer
Drinks giant Diageo is facing fresh disruption at its Belfast Guinness Zero plant after workers voted again to reject a revised pay offer, putting strike action back on the cards just days before Christmas.
Around 90 Unite members were set to strike on 8 December but paused when Diageo made a last-minute offer. That offer’s now been rejected, and staff have confirmed an eight-day strike from 12 to 19 December – landing even closer to the peak Christmas trading period.
The dispute stems from pay gaps at Diageo’s Runcorn site in England, which workers claim leave Belfast staff considerably worse off.
Unite says the strike will effectively shut down the world’s largest Guinness Zero plant. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said, “It will now see empty shelves,” unless the company recognises “the determination of this workforce to win fair pay and make a fair pay offer.”
Diageo maintains Christmas supplies are secure
Speaking at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in London’s Covent Garden this week, GB managing director Barry O’Sullivan dismissed concerns of shortages.
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“We’ve no issues,” he said. “We are well into Christmas peak trading now, so there is no fear of any shortages this Christmas.”
“We manage our ongoing part of ‘business as usual’.”
Guinness 0.0 expansion in Dublin
The disruption follows Diageo’s announcement last year to nearly double Guinness 0.0 output at Dublin’s St James’s Gate to 176 million pints annually, alongside a €30 million boost to its three-year investment in the brand, now totalling €60 million.
Guinness Zero, the UK’s top-selling alcohol-free beer, has been a key driver of Diageo’s global profits.
Earlier this year Diageo reported net profits of more than $2.5 billion globally. These strong profits are one of the reasons Unite says staff are striking, arguing that workers should receive fair pay in line with the company’s financial performance.
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