Workers at whisky giant Chivas Brothers - including staff at their Beith plant - will launch a wave of 24-hour walkouts before Christmas.

GMB Scotland has told the drinks giant that members will strike at 21 sites across the country between Monday, December 11 and Thursday, December 14.

An overtime ban will also be in place.

The action comes after the company behind global brands including Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, Ballantine's and Royal Salute refused to revise a pay offer of 6.4 per cent despite surging sales.

GMB Scotland said the strikes were called after workers voted overwhelming in support of action as Chivas and French parent company, Pernod Ricard, record unprecedented sales.

The Ricard family, owners of the multinational group, whose other well-known brands including Absolut vodka, Martell cognac, and Mumm champagne, is worth an estimated £5.8 billion.

The industrial action come just months after Chivas reported a 17 per cent increase in net sales, taking total sales to a 10-year high with sales surging by 30 per cent in international markets. 

David Hume, GMB Scotland organiser, said: “In a cost of living crisis, our members are unwilling to accept what is effectively a pay cut when this company is making huge profits and reporting record sales.

“Those profits and those sales are only made possible by the skill, expertise and hard work of our members and they deserve an offer that recognises that.”

Chivas employs around 1,600 workers in Scotland, including at the Kilmalid bottling hall in Dumbarton, Strathclyde Grain Distillery, Glenlivet Distillery and other sites in Speyside, Clydebank and their Ayrshire plant.

A Chivas Brothers spokesperson said: “Although we have now been served notice of industrial action, we remain committed to our pay proposal, which – when combined with last year’s increase – would see salaries increase above the CPI and CPIH inflation average over the last two financial years.

“While we remain open to constructive dialogue to see this matter reach a fair and reasonable resolution, we have already put in place the necessary measures to ensure our continued business operations, minimising any impact to our customers around the world.

"Considering the proximity to the festive season, and our business resilience plans, we are confident the planned action will have no impact on end-of-year orders, most of which have already shipped globally.”