WORKERS at whisky giant Diageo had agreed a raft of cost cutting measures just months before they were told plants would close.
Closure move came after staff accepted cuts
WORKERS at whisky giant Diageo had agreed a raft of cost cutting measures just months before they were told plants would close.
On Wednesday the Evening Times revealed how Diageo was to shut its operations at Port Dundas in Glasgow and Kilmarnock with the loss of 900 jobs.
Now it has emerged that staff earlier agreed a lower pay deal, unpaid holidays and shorter hours in a bid to help the company through the recession.
The news comes after First Minister Alex Salmond had a meeting with Diageo Scotland managing director Bryan Donaghey in Edinburgh and urged the company to reconsider some of its restructuring proposals, which includes creating 400 jobs in Fife. Labour MP Des Browne also met with bosses in Kilmarnock.
Mr Salmond said last night: "The decision by Diageo to restructure with the effective threat to 500 Scottish jobs is a serious move which could have grave consequences for the Ayrshire, Glasgow and the Scottish economy.
"The company has made billions of pounds out of Scotland and they must understand the full economic consequences of their proposals.
"The company has agreed to consider alternative proposals during the consultation process, which begins tomorrow."
Union leaders said workers feel let down by bosses with the news jobs in the west of Scotland, including some at Diageo's Shieldhall plant in Glasgow, are to go while investment is made in Fife.
Harry Donaldson, of GMB union, said: "Late last year things lower volumes started going through the plant. Staff agreed to suspend agreements with the company about pay and conditions.
"They took unpaid leave and brought holidays forward agreeing to work longer hours when things picked up. This was done as Diageo was going through a £100million global cost cutting operation.
"We accepted a three-year wage deal which was longer and lower than usual to allow the company to plan pricing strategy longer term. It was 2% followed by 1% then equal to RPI.
"People now feel short changed. There is a real sense of a workforce losing faith in their employers. It was hoped the company would have recognised the efforts instead of resorting to short termism."
Patricia Ferguson MSP for Maryhill which includes the Port Dundas site is meeting with Diageo management next week in a bid to protect jobs.
She said: "Workers have done all that has been asked of them to help the company through difficult times.
"It is not surprising if this feels like a slap in the face after all their efforts."
Labour MP for Kilmarnock and Loudon Des Browne also had a meeting with Diageo bosses, speaking to chief executive Paul Walsh and his management team in the town.
He said: "I agreed with Mr Walsh the Kilmarnock plant would have an opportunity to put the comprehensive case for retaining production there.
"The company are about to embark on a 90-day consultation with their workforce. That is a separate legal process but I am confident that the workforce, the local council, and with help from the Scottish Government, we can get our act together in the same timescale. In any event, we must do so because the people that work at Johnnie Walker need some certainty for the future as soon as possible.
"I am certain that the case for keep the plant open can be made as convincingly as it was 10 years ago."
