Workers at whisky and spirits company Chivas have voted to take strike action in a row over pay.
The GMB union said manufacturing could be brought to a stand-still after workers backed industrial action against a “company pay freeze plan”.
The union said that 84.4% of GMB members backed calls for strike action and 92.7% supported action short of strike meaning industrial action could take place from as early as the last week in May, affecting all Chivas Scottish operations, from distillation to bottling.
GMB said the dispute was sparked by its discovery that the Chivas parent company Pernod Ricard awarded pay rises to their workers in France for this year.
Dumbarton whisky workers set to walk out over pay dispute
Strike action could begin as early as this month after union members voted emphatically in favour of industrial action.
Chivas Brothers Kilmalid bottling plant (Image: LENNOX HERALD)
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Dumbarton whisky workers are set to walk out after union members voted “emphatically” in favour of strike action.
Workers at Chivas Brothers bottling plant at Kilmalid vote for strike action WORKERS at Chivas Brothers’ Kilmalid bottling plant in Dumbarton have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay, union bosses have announced. Members of the Unite and GMB trade unions working for the firm at Kilmalid and other sites across Scotland voted decisively in favour of both strike action and industrial action short of a strike. The outcome of the ballot was announced as the Reporter went to press on Monday. GMB officials now say industrial action could take place at the company’s sites across Scotland from as early as the last week in May, affecting all Chivas operations from distillation to bottling.
Workers at whisky and spirits company Chivas have voted to take strike action in a row over pay. The GMB union said manufacturing could be brought to a stand-still as workers back industrial action against a “company pay freeze plan”. GMB Scotland Organiser, Keir Greenaway, said: “Chivas workers across Scotland have kept the profits rolling in throughout this pandemic, but also against the headwinds of Brexit and a tariffs war with the US – they deserve much better than a real-terms pay cut.” According to the union 84.4% of GMB members backed calls for strike action and 92.7% supported action short of strike.
BBC News
Published
image captionThe Glenlivet Distillery is among a number of Chivas sites in Scotland
Workers at whisky and spirits producer Chivas Brothers have voted to back industrial action in a dispute over pay.
GMB and Unite union members were balloted last month after talks between the unions and the distiller collapsed.
The unions said strike action could begin before the end of May, unless Chivas came up with an improved offer.
Chivas said it was deeply disappointed but remained committed to seeking a resolution to the dispute.
The unions claim the firm, whose brands include Glenlivet, Ballantine s and Royal Salute, has been unwilling to lift a pay freeze.