Speyside distillery engineers to be balloted on strike action

Engineers at a number of Speyside distilleries are to be balloted on strike action.

GMB Scotland said new shift patterns had been imposed on the workers without their agreement or proper consultation.

The ballot involves about a dozen engineers who are based at Macallan Distillery in Craigellachie, but also cover operations at Glenrothes Distillery in Rothes and Parkmore in Dufftown.

Their employer, Edrington, said it was disappointed the ballot was going ahead after “months of talking”.

The engineers have worked a four-day week for two years.

GMB Scotland said the changes would mean them working more days and being on-call for longer for no extra pay.

Lesley-Anne MacAskill, the union’s organiser in the Highlands, said the engineers were a small but critical team.

She added: “Their legitimate concerns about these shift changes and the upheaval caused have been ignored by managers unwilling to seriously engage in negotiations or consider alternatives.”

A spokesperson for Edrington said the new working arrangements were essential in aligning the work of engineering team with colleagues’ jobs.

They added: “We have made a number of concessions and compromises to ensure that the new arrangements provide our people with both flexibility and certainty about working patterns.

“We will continue to be open to discussion with our people and their representatives to reach a pragmatic solution.”