Scotland Diageo employees go on strike at 'Europe's largest grain distillery'
Dozens of roles at distillery are understood to be under review
More than 100 workers are due to begin strike action at Europe’s largest grain distillery in a dispute over proposed job cuts across the company’s Scotland operations.
Members of the Unite union are expected to bring production at Diageo’s Cameronbridge distillery to a standstill as the industrial action begins on Monday.
Workers will gather at the main gate from 5am and pickets are scheduled throughout the day until 10pm, with further groups of workers due to take strike action on specified dates until October 15.
The dispute centres on Diageo’s plans to cut hundreds of jobs across its Scottish operations as part of a global restructuring programme. Dozens of roles at Cameronbridge are understood to be under review.
Sharon Graham, the general secretary for union Unite, accused the company of pursuing cuts despite making substantial profits.
“The company is making hundreds of millions of profit but its management appear hell-bent on causing widespread disruption to its workforce and supplies because of corporate greed,” she said.
“That’s completely unacceptable, and we will fight it all the way.”
Unite said Diageo had failed to properly consult the union over the proposed redundancies and had provided little detail or explanation about the scale of the cuts.
The union has also raised concerns about worker safety and wellbeing, arguing that jobs are being removed without a corresponding reduction in production at the distillery.
Diageo employs about 3,000 people at distilleries and bottling plants across Scotland. Unite said Diageo Scotland’s latest registered accounts reported an after-tax profit of £595m in 2025, compared with £736m in 2024.
Dougie Maguire, the Unite’s deputy Scottish secretary, said the had repeatedly attempted to engage with the company over the proposed cuts.
“Time is up for Diageo,” he said.
“The company has refused to properly engage with Unite, despite repeated attempts, and it persists in covering up the true scale of its proposed cuts.
“We fully expect this period of industrial action to bring production to a standstill and Diageo has only itself to blame.”
The strike comes as Diageo, one of the world’s largest drinks companies, restructures its operations globally. Its brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, as well as Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
A spokesperson for Diageo said: “We are disappointed with the decision to strike. We do not expect any disruption to the availability of our products resulting from this action.
“The proposal to remove up to ten roles at Cameronbridge Distillery is a difficult but necessary step as we maintain reduced production volumes. This approach protects the long-term competitiveness of our business. We remain open to constructive dialogue with our employees and their representatives throughout this process.”
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