Drinks giant Diageo has been branded a Scrooge for calling time on a fund for its retired workers.
For three decades, the firm behind Johnnie Walker – which made £2.1billion profit last year – has been subsidising regular trips and Christmas lunches for its retirement association.
But the “institution” has been scrapped.
A letter from the Glasgow and the West of Scotland branch said: “Due to the coronavirus and the restrictions it has placed on all of us, Diageo has decided to close the retirement association completely.
“Unfortunately this means there will be no Christmas party or further outings.”
The letter included a £20 M&S gift card.
One angry member said: “They had more than 24,000 pensioners in the association.
"The fact they have used Covid as an excuse to stop it is ridiculous.
“I’m a shareholder and know exactly what their profits are so to stop something like this is a drop in the ocean. I know it’s got to stop some time because people are dying and the numbers are reducing but to send a voucher to shut it down is an insult.”
The association stopped taking new members in 2010.
Diageo saw its half-year profits almost halve after it was hit by the pandemic but still made a £2.1billion.
A spokesman said: “The Covid-19 crisis continues to impact on everyone and our focus is on managing the safety and impact on our current employees and the communities where we operate.
“The Diageo Retirement Association was closed to new members in 2010 and therefore membership has been in decline, with a number of local branches closing. The decision to discontinue the subsidy reflects this situation.”
