Guinness strike to go ahead as planned

Tomorrow's strike by Guinness workers represented by the Guinness Joint Union Forum will go ahead at 6 a.m

Tomorrow's strike by Guinness workers represented by the Guinness Joint Union Forum will go ahead at 6 a.m. despite a late intervention by the Labour Relations Commission.

However, both sides will sit down for talks at the Labour Relations Commission at noon tomorrow before meeting with the Commission's chief executive Mr Kieran Mulvey at 2 p.m.

Talks between the Guinness Joint Union Forum - representing five of the six Guinness unions - and Guinness Ireland management broke down last night after 10 hours of talks.

Five of the unions served strike notice to picket the main production and distribution plants in protest at the proposed closure of a packaging plant in Dundalk, with the loss of 140 jobs.

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Tomorrow's strike will seriously affect supply and production of Guinness products. Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, Carlsberg and Budweiser are likely to run out in days.

The company - which has been winding down production over the past few days - said brewing will end when the pickets are in place.

The Vintners Federation of Ireland president, Mr Richard Dunne, said: "The issue of stocks of Guinness running out will vary from pub to pub depending on the level of deliveries publicans have received in the past week."

Mr Dunne called on both sides to resume talks before "irreparable damage is inflicted on the drinks industry".