Johnnie Walker and Bell’s whisky supplies face disruption as workers walk out Tom HaynesThu, September 17, 2026 at 6:06 PM UTC 0 The action could halt production at the factory supplying grain spirit for Diageo’s top whisky brands Andrew Milligan/PA Supplies of Johnnie Walker and Bell’s whisky face disruption as more than 100 workers at Diageo’s biggest Scottish distillery prepare to go on strike. Workers at Cameronbridge, Europe’s largest grain distillery, will walk out from Sept 28 for three weeks in a dispute over plans to cut 10 jobs at the site.
Johnnie Walker and Bell’s whisky supplies face disruption as workers walk out
Tom HaynesThu, September 17, 2026 at 6:06 PM UTC
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The action could halt production at the factory supplying grain spirit for Diageo’s top whisky brands - Andrew Milligan/PA
Supplies of Johnnie Walker and Bell’s whisky face disruption as more than 100 workers at Diageo’s biggest Scottish distillery prepare to go on strike.
Workers at Cameronbridge, Europe’s largest grain distillery, will walk out from Sept 28 for three weeks in a dispute over plans to cut 10 jobs at the site.
The action threatens to bring production to a halt at the factory, which makes the grain spirit used in blends for some of Diageo’s best-known whiskies, including Johnnie Walker, Bell’s and Haig.
It marks the first bout of strike action since Sir Dave Lewis announced a sweeping cost-cutting drive at the drinks giant.
The former Tesco boss, nicknamed “Drastic Dave” for his aggressive approach to cutting costs, took over as Diageo’s chief executive in January and is targeting $1bn (£750m) of savings.
Sir Dave Lewis has been nicknamed ‘Drastic Dave’ for his aggressive approach to cutting costs - PA
He has overseen a sharp reduction in the company’s workforce.
Diageo employed 27,938 people at the end of June, down by almost 2,000 from a year earlier, while it spent $514m on redundancy payments.
Unite, the union overseeing the strike, accused Diageo of failing to consult workers properly and said it had provided little detail about the proposed cuts.
Sharon Graham, the union’s general secretary, said: “There is no justification for slashing hundreds of jobs across its operations when it is raking in hundreds of millions of profit.”
The union has also raised safety concerns if jobs were removed without a corresponding reduction in production.
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Diageo said the Cameronbridge dispute was limited to 10 roles, with eight people affected because two of the positions are vacant.
A spokesman said the cuts were necessary because the company had reduced production at the distillery and expected to maintain lower levels of grain distillation “over the next few years”.
The company said it had alternative roles available for affected workers and remained in talks with Unite and GMB Scotland.
Diageo has about 3,000 employees at distilleries and bottling plants across Scotland. Production has also been paused at several other sites as the company reduces output to bring whisky stocks into balance with demand.
The cuts come as Sir Dave attempts to redirect spending towards parts of the business that are growing faster.
He has pledged to spend $1bn expanding Guinness production, after sales of the stout rose 12pc last year. Diageo has said the wider cost-cutting programme will fund the investment.
The company’s latest results in August showed the scale of the challenge facing Lewis, with revenue falling 3pc to $19.6bn and operating profit dropping 27pc to $3.2bn.
Sir Dave has blamed some of the weakness in Diageo’s spirits brands on prices being pushed too high after the pandemic.
He said last month that pricing had “got a little bit out of whack” and that cutting prices on brands including Bell’s whisky had already prompted a recovery in sales volumes.
A Diageo spokesman said: “We are disappointed by the decision to strike. The proposal to remove up to 10 roles at Cameronbridge Distillery is necessary as we maintain reduced production volumes to protect the long-term competitiveness of our business. We remain committed to engaging constructively.”
Source: "AOL Money"
Source: Money
Published: September 17, 2026 at 09:18PM on Source: PRIME TIME
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