Thousands protest at Diageo cuts

Thousands marched in Scotland yesterday in protest at Diageo's decision to axe 900 jobs north of the border.

Earlier this month the drinks giant announced restructuring plans that included closing bottling plants at Kilmarnock and Port Dundas and cutting jobs in Shieldhall.

Trade union Unite, which led the march of an estimated 20,000 people through the centre of Kilmarnock, said the region will be devastated if Diageo forces through the changes.

Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey said: "These are job cuts driven by one thing only - greed. This is a company drunk on greed.

"It is making mega-profits - more than two billion pounds last year - and wants still more. It is the greed of a chief executive paid £5m last year and looking to fund next year's bonus out of the hides of working men and women here in Scotland.

"Well, we have news for Diageo and its boardroom. The days of 'greed is good' are over. Unite is not going to accept that these jobs are going and the communities depending on them will be destroyed."

Unite is now working with the GMB and the Scottish Executive on an alternative business plan which will keep jobs and work in Scotland.

Workers and the families will be carrying placards saying "Johnnie Don't Walker Out on Kilmarnock", "Fight to Keep Diageo Jobs in Scotland" and "Diageo Don't Desert Kilmarnock" as part of the campaign. The march has been organised by East Ayrshire Council.

Speakers at the rally included McCluskey, Unite regional secretary John Quigley, and senior Unite plant shop stewards Jim McGhee and Janette Dunbar.

Diageo has defended the cuts by saying restructuring was the best plan for the future of the business and the 4,000 workers employed by the group.