Workers have voted in favour of strike action at sites owned by the UK's largest producer of whisky amid a dispute over pay.

Unite members have voted for industrial action, likely to be from September to November, at three of Diageo's distilling and bottling plants.

The move comes after members turned down a 2.8% pay rise that would not include a "product allowance" increase for employees allowed to take more of the firm's merchandise without paying.

READ MORE: Threat to whisky production as Diageo workers balloted on strikes

Bob MacGregor, regional industrial officer for the union, said: "Unite has received a clear and strong mandate for industrial action from our membership in Diageo's largest distilling and bottling plants in Scotland.

"The recent announcement in July of an increase in pre-tax profits to £4.2 billion alongside Diageo's refusal to give a fair pay award has rightly infuriated the workers.

"Unite would urge Diageo to get back round the negotiating table with a new offer which fairly rewards its workers, who have earned these massive profits for the company.

"If they do not, then Diageo's operations will needlessly grind to a halt in the coming weeks."

READ MORE: Gin boom drives Diageo profit jump to £4bn

Staff at the Leven, Cameronbridge and Shieldhall premises previously rejected a 2.5% pay rise and increase in their "product allowance".

Diageo operates 28 malt distilleries in the UK, accounting for nearly one-third of the industry's capacity.

The drinks company's catalogue of brands includes Smirnoff, Baileys, Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Tanqueray and Gordon's.
David Beckham's Haig whisky is among those produced at the Cameronbridge site.

A Diageo spokeswoman said: "We have well developed contingency plans in the event of industrial action but remain committed to seeking a resolution and ensuring our employees receive an increase on their pay, alongside maintaining the competitiveness of our operations.

"We are a very good employer and aim to ensure our staff are rewarded competitively; our pay and benefits for our bargaining group employees are in the top quartile for manufacturing in Scotland."

Housebuilder Persimmon is expected to report lower profits on Tuesday as it overhauls its business practices and faces uncertainty in the property market.

Analysts are expecting margins to go up slightly on the same period last year, even as house price growth cools off and costs increase.

READ MORE: Brexit pain grows in Scottish hospitality industry

But a dip in revenue, which the company flagged in an earlier trading update, will result in a slight drop in pre-tax profits.

It has also been slowing down the sales process to improve customer satisfaction, revealing in July that completions are down 7% for the first half while revenue dipped 4.5% to £1.75 billion.

Additional costs could also come from the group's efforts to improve its customer care.

PwC has been awarded a £16.5 million contract to manage what is left of the Government's holding company for banking assets it acquired following the financial crisis.

The firm will take control of UK Asset Resolution (UKAR), once the government vehicle has sold Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley to private sector owners.

A spokesman for UKAR said the sale would "allow us to complete our objective and dispose of the Government's investment in these businesses".

Once it is completed, PwC will take charge of UKAR's remaining responsibilities including legacy pension schemes.