Why popular alcohol-free drink could be in short supply this Christmas

LocalBusiness & Finance
11 Dec 2025 • 2:41 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Employees at Guinness's Belfast packaging plant are set to stage an eight-day walkout starting on Friday, 12 December.
  • Approximately 90 members of the Unite union, responsible for canning and packaging Guinness 0.0, rejected what they termed an "inadequate" pay offer from Diageo.
  • The union states the strike aims to close a pay gap with workers at Diageo's Runcorn site and will impact the supply of Guinness 0.0, potentially leading to shortages over Christmas.
  • Diageo, the manufacturer, insists there will be no disruption to the supply of Guinness or Guinness 0.0 during the Christmas period.
  • Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham criticised Diageo for prioritising profits, stating the company can afford to improve workers' pay.

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