Unite confirms industrial action suspended by Chivas Brothers staff members
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Unite has confirmed that Chivas Brothers has brought forward a new pay offer which will be put to Unite’s 500-strong membership in a consultative ballot.
Last week,the union confirmed a rolling programme of 24-hour stoppages across various Chivas Brothers facilities between Monday 11 to Thursday 14 December.
The union’s membership supported taking strike action by an emphatic 91.2 per cent.
All industrial action is now suspended until the ballot process on the new pay offer is complete.
Unite industrial officer Andy Brown, said: “Unite has been in intense negotiations with Chivas Brothers since we announced our rolling programme of strike action.
"Following the latest round of talks we have agreed to put a new pay offer to our 500-strong Chivas Brothers membership for consideration.
“Unite has taken the decision to suspend all forthcoming industrial action until our membership has had the opportunity to vote on the merits of this new offer.”
Chivas employs around 1,500 workers in Scotland. The company produces Scotch whisky premier brands including The Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, Aberlour, Ballantine's and Royal Salute.
Unite members previously rejected a 6.4 per cent pay offer by 97 per cent. Inflation stood at 11.3 per cent when the workers’ pay increase should have been implemented.
The union points out that Chivas Brothers Limited made a profit after tax of £168.5 million in 2022.
In August, the company further announced that its July 2022 – June 2023 full-year net sales were up 17 per cent taking total sales to a 10-year high.
A Chivas Brothers spokesperson: “While the results of the official ballot are still pending, we are pleased that constructive talks have enabled us to re-engage with the unions on our original proposal, and reach a mutually-agreeable position that avoids unnecessary strike action and limits the long-term impact of this dispute on our team.
“Our offer reflects our ongoing commitment to sharing our success throughout the company, while recognising the normalising business and economic environment for the year ahead.
“We are a resilient business.
"Reaching this agreement means we can now continue to focus on our main business objective, which is the continued supply of our world-renowned whiskies to consumers all over the world.”
