A planned eight-day strike at Diageo’s Guinness 0.0 production facility in Belfast has been suspended.
Around 90 staff had been set to walk out from today (5 December) in a dispute over pay, but will now pause plans for industrial action, following an improved pay offer.
Unite regional officer Michael Keenan said: “Negotiations have resulted in an improved pay offer being made by Diageo and as an act of good will our reps voted to suspend the planned strike action to allow our members to consider and vote on it.”
The planned strike action followed a unanimous ballot rejection by workers of a previous pay offer.
Diageo’s Belfast factory is the world’s biggest packaging site for Guinness 0.0.
Planned strike action would have seen shortages of the tipple this Christmas, Unite members had warned.
“After constructive engagement, we welcome the suspension of the planned industrial action at our Marshalls Road packaging site to allow employees to vote on a revised pay offer,” A Diageo spokesperson said.
Guinness 0.0 is the UK’s biggest alcohol-free beer. Off-trade sales of the stout have grown by 39.3% to £50.6m in the past year [NIQ 52 w/e 6 September 2025].
Diageo was forced to ration supplies of full-strength Guinness to retailers last Christmas after “exceptional consumer demand” raised fears of shortages of the stout.
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