Diageo Cameronbridge Distillery Workers Vote to Strike

Union Protests Restructuring Layoffs, Core Spirit Supply at Risk

Workers at Diageo's Cameronbridge distillery in Levenmouth, Fife, Scotland, have officially voted to take industrial action following ballots organized by the Unite and GMB Scotland unions. As Scotland's prominent grain whisky distillery, Cameronbridge primarily produces grain whisky spirit that supplies various Diageo products, including Johnnie Walker blended Scotch whisky.

Two Major Unions Overwhelmingly Back Strike, Citing Lack of Consultation

In the ballot held on September 9, GMB Scotland saw a 73% turnout with 75% of members voting in favor of strike action. Unite launched its ballot after learning the company was reviewing more than 70 roles, securing unanimous support from over 100 members. Unions criticized Diageo for pushing forward with redundancies without meaningful consultation and failing to provide staff with concrete explanations or detailed plans.

Restructuring Slashes Distillation Output; Union Questions Layoffs Amid Huge Profits

Facing declining sales in the previous financial year, Diageo launched a $1 billion business restructuring plan, having previously cut 2,000 jobs globally. The group indicated it would maintain lower grain distillation volumes over the next three years, planning to cut up to 10 positions in Cameronbridge's grain distillation department, covering 2 current vacancies and 8 active employees. A Diageo spokesperson expressed disappointment with the ballot results, emphasizing that output adjustments are intended to preserve long-term competitiveness, and stated confidence in redeploying all affected staff to other vacancies across the group.

However, the union rejected this stance. Unite pointed out that Diageo Scotland posted an after-tax profit of £595 million (approx. $806.1 million) in 2025. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham criticized the company, stating there is no justification for cutting jobs while sitting on hundreds of millions in profit. Union representative Dougie Orchardson also warned that unless management engages with staff promptly, industrial action will bring the distillery to a standstill, inevitably leading to supply shortages for several consumer-favorite spirits.

GMB Scotland organiser Daniel Reid also criticized the company for entering discussions with a predetermined agenda and never genuinely listening to workers' concerns regarding the impact of job cuts. Furthermore, GMB recently noted that Diageo is rolling out unconsulted redundancy plans across distilleries in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, putting up to 38 distillery workers at risk of unemployment.

📅 Publication Date: 2026-09-10

🔗 Source: The Spirits Business