A DISPUTE which threatened to disrupt production at a whisky giant’s bottling plants has been resolved.
Union officials representing staff at Chivas Brothers’ sites at Kilmalid in Dumbarton and Paisley had been locked in talks with bosses for months over a pay disagreement.
It led to threats of industrial action, with workers at the Dumbarton plant arguing that they were earning less than their Paisley colleagues.
An early pay offer from the company was also dismissed by trade union Unite Scotland as “derisory”, and talks at conciliation service ACAS broke down.
Bosses at Chivas yesterday confirmed a three-year pay deal and plan to bring pay at both sites into line had been reached.
Workers at both plants will receive a 1.9 per cent pay rise, backdated to the start of the year. The Paisley site is due to close by 2019, with staff offered positions at the Dumbarton bottling plant.
Dumbarton is due to receive a £40 million investment.
Bosses of the whisky business had planned to delay harmonisation of workers’ salaries until the merger had taken place. However Gordon Casey, regional coordinating officer for Unite Scotland confirmed the deal means salaries will be brought into line from the start of next month.
He said: “Unite extends its appreciation to its members for the manner in which they have conducted themselves during this dispute.” We look forward to a return to a harmonious working relationship with the company moving forward .
Laurent Lacassagne, chairman and CEO at Chivas Brothers said the deal had been struck after “a period of open and transparent negotiation”.
Chivas Brothers is owned by French drinks firm Pernod Ricard.
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