Irn Bru to slash 10% of its workforce over Government’s ‘sugar tax’
Scottish firm's revenues fell by 4per cent in six months
Irn Bru has announced plans to slash 90 jobs while hitting out at the government's sugar tax.
The Scottish firm's revenues fell by 4per cent to £125.6 million for the six months ending in July.
AG Barr, which owns Irn-Bru has attributed this in part to customers reacting to the "significant weight of negative media coverage" towards sugary soft drinks.
It branded the Government's sugar tax - set to come into force in April 2018 - as "a punitive and unnecessary distortion to competition in the UK market".
The maker of Scotland's favourite soft drink also said the tax was an "unnecessary measure" as the drinks industry was already working to cut sugar.
The Cumbernauld-based company will axe about 90 positions - or 10pc of its workforce - as part of a restructure.
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The firm said it is also taking action to avoid an estimated hit of £3million to £4million from rising import costs triggered by the plunge in the value of the pound following Britain's vote to leave the EU.
It said Irn-Bru Xtra, a sugar-free version of the soft drink, was performing well and would make a "material contribution" to the business throughout the year.
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