Diageo workers accept pay deal

Diageo workers in Scotland have accepted a "much improved" redundancy deal.

Following nine months of campaigning, Diageo has agreed to increase redundancy pay by £4,000 to £9,000.

Diageo has also opened up the pension scheme to allow part of the packages to be paid in to workers' pension pots, enhancing both the retirement lump sum and the pension.

Workers voted on the proposals in workplace ballots at the Kilmarnock, Shieldhall and Port Dundas plants. The offer was accepted by almost four to one.

"The final package is one that provides benefits for members that are second to none," said Unite national officer Jennie Formby.

"But we firmly believe that without the courage and determination of the workers, and the excellent leadership of their union stewards, we would not have seen any movement from the company.

"The fighting spirit the workers demonstrated throughout the whole campaign let Diageo know that they simply could not walk away from these communities without fair and proper compensation.

"Every site had a very clear majority to accept, with Kilmarnock as the largest site showing an 80% acceptance, which is a very clear endorsement of the proposals."

She added: "Of course we are very disappointed not to have been able to save sites from closure, but this is a painful reminder that it is only too easy in the UK for companies to close sites in this way. We have advised Diageo management of the result and also confirmed that our campaign is now formally at an end."