Unite had said that workers’ at the company’s Belfast Brewery were to take eight days of strikes in a dispute over pay.
The workers who are members of Unite, were to begin strike action last Friday (5 December) and walkouts were set to continue until the early hours of Saturday 13 December.
However, the planned strike action which Unite said would have seen shortages of Guinness Zero this Christmas, has been suspended.
Around 90 workers are set to vote on the new deal with the ballot closing today (Monday 8 December).
Regional officer for the workforce Michael Keenan said: “Negotiations have resulted in an improved pay offer being made by Diageo and as an act of good will our reps voted to suspend the planned strike action to allow our members to consider and vote on it.”
The planned strike action followed a unanimous ballot rejection by workers of a previous pay offer.
A Diageo spokesperson added: “After constructive engagement, we welcome the suspension of the planned industrial action at our Marshalls Road packaging site to allow employees to vote on a revised pay offer.”
Diageo told Food Manufacture previously that there will be no disruption in the supply of Guinness and Guinness 0.0 over the Christmas period, despite claims by Unite. The company said it had contingency plans in place to manage any potential impact at the can packaging site in Belfast.
The 90 workers have been demanding a substantial increase in pay to close the pay gap with Diageo employees at the company’s site in Runcorn, England.
Diageo said there is no beer production at Marshalls Road as it operates as a beer packaging site in Belfast.
