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Whisky workers seek ‘honest answers’ over Brexit impact
GMB Scotland members from the whisky industry will today meet with representatives from the European Union to raise concerns over the future of the drinks industry’s trading arrangements.
Union members will meet from EU representatives in Brussels
Members of GMB Scotland will speak with MEPs, EU commission representatives and trade experts about the impact of Brexit on their jobs in Brussels today amid what it describes as “a backdrop of silence” from the UK government.
“Whisky is a massive success story for Scotland but our efforts to get protective measures from the UK government amid Brexit uncertainty have so far been met with silence,” said GMB Scotland organiser Louise Gilmour.
“We need some honest answers. If the UK government cannot provide our members with the reassurances they need for the future defence of their livelihoods then we need to gauge how others see us, which may mean some hard truths from Europe on future trading arrangements.”
While Scotch whisky is covered by World Trade Organisation agreements, meaning exports won’t be subject to tariffs inside the EU, 10% of the category’s exports go to markets such as Central and South America and South Korea. Such trade agreements were brokered through the EU, so tariffs could be subject to change in future.
GMB has previously written to UK Government Scottish secretary David Mundell urging him to implement measures that protect the £5 billion Scotch whisky industry, which supports more than 40,000 jobs in the UK.
Gilmour continued: “As a trade union focused on the creation and defence of decent jobs, what we are not prepared to entertain is the prospect of change being imposed on our whisky industry post-Brexit and to the detriment of employment conditions and investment.
“If the Scottish Secretary and the UK government are asleep on the job then GMB will ask the tough questions for them because the Scottish economy simply cannot do without a thriving whisky industry and we cannot afford to wait on change to find us.”