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UK Faces Potential Guinness Zero Drought Due to Staff Walkout
28 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Workers at Belfast's Guinness Zero brewery are striking over pay from December 5-13.
- The strike action will severely disrupt production lines before Christmas.
- Diageo, the owner, can afford a decent offer but prioritizes profits over people.
The United Kingdom faces a potential shortage of Guinness Zero this Christmas due to a planned strike by brewery workers. Approximately 90 staff at Diageo's Belfast facility, the world's largest producer of Guinness Zero, will walk out from December 5 to December 13. This industrial action is expected to significantly disrupt production in the lead-up to the festive period.
The Unite union is spearheading the strike, with workers demanding a substantial pay increase to align with their counterparts at other Diageo sites. Union leaders have criticized Diageo's management, asserting that the profitable company is capable of meeting workers' pay expectations but has opted against it, placing profits above employee well-being.
This dispute presents an early challenge for Diageo's new CEO, Sir Dave Lewis, who assumes leadership in January. Diageo launched Guinness Zero in 2020 to capitalize on the increasing consumer demand for non-alcoholic beverages. The company has not yet commented on the impending strike.
