Pickets to go ahead on Guinness plants

Pickets are set to go on Guinness plants from 6am tomorrow as a last ditch peace effort in the row collapsed overnight.

More than 10 hours of talks at the Labour Relations Commission failed to settle the row that is expected to hit supplies within days.

There are not expected to be any further peace efforts and today unions representing more than 1,000 workers are putting the final touches to their plans for tomorrow's strike.

The pickets will go on at 6am at all Guinness locations in the row over the closure of the Dundalk packaging plant.

Supplies of stout are expected to run dry within days with Budweiser, Harp, Carlsberg and Smithwick drinkers also under threat.

Unions are vowing to halt any attempt to re-supply bars with drink imported from Britain.