Whyte and Mackay says Diageo plans 'a sad day for Scotland'
Whisky brand Whyte and Mackay has described plans by rival Diageo, which will see around 900 job losses made in Glasgow and Kilmarnock, as ‘a sad day for Scotland’.
Diageo is set to continued with plans for ‘a restructure’ as it looks to save £20million with the closure of its whisky brand Johnnie Walker’s bottling plant in Kilmarnock while another 200 jobs will be lost with the closure of the Port Dundas distillery in Glasgow.
The company has already said that it intends to continue to bottle ‘the majority’ of its whisky in Scotland and has also said that 400 jobs will be created with the investment of £100million mainly at its packaging plant at Leven.
A spokesperson for Whyte and Mackay, commented: “Diageo's announcement was a sad day for Scotland, the economy and the whisky industry.”
He continued: “The whisky business is competitive but also close, and we will all know people personally affected by this. I just hope they find a way to maintain a strong Scottish based business, and I am sure they will do all they can to help those that have lost their jobs.”