Diageo strike suspended
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STRIKE action at Diageo's distilleries was called off last night at the last moment after a new pay offer was tabled.
Between 1000 and 1500 workers were set to down tools from 11pm last night.
GMB Scotland Organiser Keir Greenaway and Unite Scotland Officer Stevie Deans released a joint statement.
They said: "We are pleased that on the brink of strike action, Diageo tabled an offer that we feel merits our members’ consultation.
"The offer is a two year commitment on pay and also sets out a time frame for the negotiation of a new collective agreement.
"Our strike action is now suspended while a full consultative ballot of our members takes place on the offer."
The strike action could have effected 40 distilleries.
That total includes 19 sites locally: Moray House offices in Elgin as well as at Auchroisk, Benrinnes, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Dufftown, Glen Elgin, Glen Spey, Glendullan, Glenlossie, Inchgower, Knockando, Linkwood, Mannochmore, and Roseisle distilleries.
Workers rejected a "final" pay offer of 2.8% on Monday.
The new offer tabled yesterday is understood to be a two-year deal with a 3% rise this year, plus an increase in pay next year in line with how retail price index rate stands in June 2020.
Diageo's chief executive Ivan Menezes recently gained a 30 percent pay rise, taking his package to £11.7 million a year.
That rise was granted after the drinks giant posted pre-tax profits of £4.2billion.
