Minimum pricing could mean end of Grangemouth whisky plant
TWO HUNDRED jobs at Grangemouth's Whyte & Mackay bottling plant will be part of the price to be paid for the SNP Government's flawed attempts to cut alcohol abuse, MSPs were warned by company bosses.
Yesterday (Wednesday) officials from the world-renowned whisky giants travelled to Holyrood in a last ditch attempt to change ministers' minds over proposed legislation, including controversial minimum pricing proposals.
Members of the Scottish Government's health committee, which is considering the Alcohol (Scotland) Bill, heard Whyte & Mackay chief executive John Beard's thoughts on the issue.
In his submission, Mr Beard said the company had no doubt minimum pricing would decimate the own label market.
He said: "This will lead to significant job losses at Whyte & Mackay, across our distilleries, our bottling plants and our distribution centres. We anticipate our bottling plant in Grangemouth, which employs 200 people, would close. Our production levels would also be affected so there would be a knock-on effect at our distilleries.
"Our best estimate is another 100 jobs would be at risk. Whyte & Mackay, a company established in 1844, would essentially cease to exist in anything but name only."
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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