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Guinness Workers Strike for Pay Parity Ahead of Christmas

12/12/2025

27 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Guinness canning factory in Belfast, owned by Diageo, began an eight-day strike on December 12, 2025, over pay.
Unite says workers seek pay parity with the Runcorn site, where salaries are up to 30% higher.
Union representative Billy McFarlane says workers have had no pay raise since 2023 and the offer is inadequate.
Diageo says the pay offer is fair and has contingency plans to prevent Christmas supply disruptions.

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Story summary

The Guinness canning factory in Belfast, owned by Diageo, began an eight-day strike on December 12, 2025, over pay.
Unite says workers seek pay parity with the Runcorn site, where salaries are up to 30% higher.
Union representative Billy McFarlane says workers have had no pay raise since 2023 and the offer is inadequate.
Diageo says the pay offer is fair and has contingency plans to prevent Christmas supply disruptions.