Diageo granted injunction extension

Diageo has managed to obtain an extension to a High Court injunction preventing picketing of the Guinness brewery at St James’s Gate, Dublin, until next Monday.

The company originally obtained a temporary injunction until 11am this morning to prevent members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) picketing outside the famous brewery, claiming the action would restrict the supply of Guinness and would lead them to lay off staff.

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy today continued the injunction until next Monday.

Diageo said Guinness production has already ceased and added that extra precautions have had to be taken to make the beer within the process safe.

The drinks giant said that, had picketing continued and the brewing process does not start up again quickly, the yeast will have died within four days, meaning it would have taken between 21 and 28 days to resume normal service.

Electricians in Ireland are looking for an 11.3% pay increase, which they claim is long overdue, but employers argue that their demands are unrealistic in the current economic climate and want the electricians to take a 10% reduction in pay.

Alan Lodge, 08.07.2009