A MAJOR pre-Christmas strike has erupted at Diageo’s Belfast packaging plant, where roughly 90 workers have begun an eight-day strike in a long-running row over pay.
The action by Unite the Union centres on a pay gap between staff in Belfast and employees performing similar roles at Diageo’s Runcorn facility in England.
The strike, which began early Friday and is scheduled to run until December 20, follows the workforce’s latest overwhelming rejection of a revised pay offer.
A previous walkout planned for earlier in the month was paused to allow staff to consider the proposal, but union officials say the company’s revised terms still fall far short.
Unite say Belfast workers, who package Guinness 0.0 products, have been left behind despite strong company profits and soaring demand for Diageo’s alcohol-free brand.
Some employees say their basic pay sits just above minimum wage, even as Guinness Zero continues to drive company performance and dominates Britain and Ireland's alcohol-free beer market.
Billy McFarlane, a worker and union representative with nearly three decades at the plant, said staff had “never taken action like this before” and argued that rising living costs and the disparity with Runcorn salaries had made the offer unacceptable, according to the BBC.
“We have a sister site in England on a much higher rate of pay,” he said.
“A much more substantial offer is needed.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham criticised the drinks giant’s stance, saying Diageo “can afford to level up workers’ pay” after reporting more than $2.5bn in global net profits in the last fiscal year.
She warned that failure to resolve the dispute could mean “empty shelves” during the festive rush.
The Belfast facility is the largest producer of Guinness 0.0 globally, and union leaders say the eight-day stoppage will effectively halt operations during one of the busiest trading periods of the year.
The dispute comes as Diageo continues to expand its alcohol-free Guinness capacity elsewhere.
The company is investing €60m to increase production at Dublin’s St James’s Gate, with output of Guinness 0.0 expected to rise to 176m pints annually.
Despite the union’s warnings, Diageo executives have repeatedly downplayed concerns of product shortages.
Barry O’Sullivan, Diageo’s GB managing director, said this week that Christmas stock levels were already secured.
“We’re well into peak trading now, so there is no fear of shortages,” he said.
A company spokesperson echoed that position, describing the rejected pay offer as “more than fair and reasonable” but stressing that Diageo “respects the right of employees to take industrial action.”
Both sides say they remain open to further negotiations.
Unite argues that only an offer that eliminates the pay gap between Belfast and Runcorn will end the dispute, while Diageo says it remains committed to constructive dialogue aimed at protecting the long-term future of the site and its workforce.
See More: Belfast, Diageo, Guinness, Guinness 0.0, Strike
