Diageo workers in Leven to launch strike action over pay

Engineering workers at whisky giant Diageo's bottling plant in Fife are set to launch a series of strikes in a dispute over pay.

Unite said action would begin in Leven on Saturday for 48 hours, with further stoppages planned until 3 April.

The union said the dispute was over lower pay rates for new starts.

Diageo, which makes Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, disputed the claim but said it remained "committed to seeking a resolution".

In a statement, the trade union claimed some of its engineering members were set to lose about 6% of their pay at a time when Diageo's operating profits had risen sharply.

Unite regional officer Bob Macgregor said Diageo's proposals were "completely unacceptable".

He said: "The reason why Diageo is able to generate billions in profits is because of the skilled work of its workforce.

"Our engineering members who keep the bottling plant safe to operate at Leven have been left with no choice but to take a stand against Diageo.

"The strike action will continue until they get what they deserve."

A spokeswoman for Diageo said the dispute was with 10 of its weekend shift engineers over the number of night shifts required and "associated shift premiums".

She said: "We are not introducing a lower rate of pay for new starters.

"We are proud of the pay and benefits packages we provide to our people across all our sites, but unfortunately, this group of 10 employees have rejected our proposal.

"We have well developed contingency plans in place to ensure the site can continue to operate safely and as planned.

"We remain committed to seeking a resolution to this dispute and are open to further discussions."