The executive committee of the largest union in Guinness, which is not a party to the redundancy agreement for Dundalk Packaging announced last week, will consider its options at a meeting of its executive committee in Dublin tomorrow - including an all-out strike. The planned industrial action by the powerful Guinness Staff Union would pose a greater threat to production at Guinness plants than the aborted one-day strike by brewery workers in April and would almost immediately affect beer stocks in pubs.
The company would be given until the end of the month to conclude separate negotiations with the union if the action is to be averted, the GSU's general secretary, Mr Sean Mackell, said.
He dismissed the redundancy deal with SIPTU, the ATGWU and craft unions, which is expected to yield lump sums of up to £137,000 for some workers following the closure of the Dundalk packaging plant (McArdles Brewery), as "just so much hype".