A DRY Christmas could be on the cards for millions of Brits as furious workers at Diageo’s Belfast brewery prepare to down tools in a massive row over pay.
The UK is facing a “Guinness drought” this festive season after staff voted unanimously to reject a pay offer and launch eight days of strikes next month.
The walkout targets the production of Guinness Zero – the UK’s number one selling alcohol-free beer – sparking fears that shelves could be left bare just as the party season kicks into high gear.
Unite the Union has confirmed that its members will storm out on Friday, December 5, and the picket lines won’t come down until the early hours of Saturday, December 13.
The Belfast site isn’t just a small cog in the machine as it is the world’s biggest producer of the booze-free black stuff.
With “Dry January” on the horizon and abstemious drinkers wanting a festive tipple without the hangover, the timing couldn’t be worse for the drinks giant.
Michael Keenan, regional officer for Unite, said: “Diageo’s Belfast site is the world’s biggest producer of Guinness Zero and this strike action will severely disrupt production lines in the run-up to Christmas.
“Management needs to stop disrespecting our members and return to the negotiating table with an offer that meets workers’ pay expectations.”
The dispute centres on a pay gap that has left Northern Irish workers fuming.
The 90 staff members involved in the walkout say they are being paid significantly less than their colleagues doing the exact same job at Diageo’s packaging facility in Runcorn, Cheshire.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Diageo is one of the largest and most profitable drinks companies in the world. It can fully afford to make workers a decent offer but has chosen to put profits before people.”
Diageo – which also owns Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, and Johnnie Walker – reported net profits of more than £1.9billion globally this year.
Despite the union’s warning of chaos, Diageo said it has “contingency plans” to keep the cans rolling and denies there will be a shortage.
A spokesman added: “While we are disappointed by the outcome of the ballot for industrial action at our can packaging site in Belfast we strongly believe that continued engagement is the best way of securing a resolution that recognises employees for their valued contribution, while ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the site.”
It’s not all smooth sailing for the drinks titan, though.
Shares in the London-listed firm have tumbled by almost a third this year as sales slowed down.
In a bid to steady the ship, the company recently hired former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis as its new chief executive.
Known as “Drastic Dave” for his reputation for aggressive cost-cutting, he famously turned Tesco around.
Now, he faces the headache of a Christmas strike before he can even properly get his feet under the table.
Delivery chaos looms too
Christmas and January sales deliveries could face major delays as 2,000 UPS workers begin balloting for strike action.
The vote, which closes on December 3, follows a pay dispute.
Unite says staff rejected a 2.8% rise for 2025 and 3.2% for 2026, below the latest RPI measure of inflation at about 4.5%.
CPI inflation is the measure most often used to set pay rises.
However, trade unions often use RPI in negotiations because it tends to run higher than CPI, so it argues for bigger increases.
Any walkouts could start in mid‑December, hitting last‑minute gifts and Boxing Day purchases.
Unite says retailers that typically use UPS include Apple, Amazon, Dell and Louis Vuitton.
The union claims a previous £100 lump‑sum offer for minimum‑wage staff was withdrawn to fund the 2026 pay deal and alleges management put up posters urging staff not to vote.
UPS is the world’s biggest courier, delivering more than 15million parcels each day worldwide.
Headquartered in Feltham in the UK, it reported global third‑quarter net profit of $1.31billion on revenue of $21.4billion.
It’s understood around a quarter of its UK workforce are on the minimum wage (£12.21 an hour).
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This dispute is a clear case of a rich employer putting profits before people.
“It is shameful that workers at a company that turns over billions have been offered such a miserly pay deal and have been left struggling to get by.”
A spokesperson for UPS said: “We endeavour to create a working environment that helps our people to thrive and our business and customers to succeed.
“Our goal remains a balanced, fair and sustainable agreement that reflects the valuable contribution our people deliver every day.
“Robust contingency plans are in place to minimise any customer disruption and keep our commitments should industrial action take place.”
To ensure presents arrive on time, place standard‑delivery orders in the first week of December and use express by around December 15.
Check each retailer’s Christmas cut‑off dates and any courier delays before you buy.
What are my rights for lost or late deliveries?
MILLIONS of shoppers will be relying on delivery firms to ensure presents they have bought online arrive in time for Christmas.
We’ve outlined your rights if a package you ordered gets lost or arrives late.
Claim against the retailer
If your parcel does not arrive by the date agreed, you can make a claim against the retailer.
And if you didn’t select a particular delivery date or window at checkout, you are entitled to a refund if the item doesn’t show up within 30 days.
When buying online, if there isn’t an option to select a specific delivery date, try to add a note stating “time is of the essence” and that you need it before December 25.
Follow this up with an email asking the company to commit to this timeframe.
It will give you extra refund rights if something goes wrong.
Cancel and rebuy
With anything you buy online or over the phone – apart from items that have been personalised such as with your initials – you have the right to a refund within a 14-day window.
This cooling-off period applies even if there is nothing wrong with your purchase. The clock starts the day after you receive delivery. The only other exception is for electronic items where the seal on the box has been broken.
This can be a useful tool if you know that a delivery is running late and you want to go out and buy a replacement before Christmas Day.
But when refunding you for the item, companies only need to reimburse the cost of the cheapest delivery option. So if you paid for a premium “next day” or “named day” service, you may not get all of your money back.
Seek damages
If your purchase is damaged when it arrives, it is the retailer’s responsibility to then refund you.
Sometimes if you or the courier are in a rush, you might not have time to properly remove the item from its packaging and inspect it before signing.
Most of the time you are just signing to accept delivery rather than confirm the condition of your purchase – but to cover yourself, add “not examined” when you sign.
Pay by credit card
Using a credit card gives you an extra layer of protection, as you can seek a refund from the card company if items are faulty or not delivered as promised.
This is useful, as sometimes when buying online you might end up dealing with a scam company that has no interest in your refund rights.
