‘Beer is not delivered to cafes’: Strike continues at AB InBev in Leuven and Hoegården, brewery behind Carmelite and Kwak also closed, warehouses closed | local

Yesterday/Thursday, various unions began a strike at beer giant AB InBev. At sites in Leuven, Hoegaarden and Liège, doors remained closed and production stopped completely. Meanwhile, employees at the brewery in Liège, where Jupiler beer is brewed, are back at work. But work is still halted in Leuven and Hoegaarden.

The Bosteels brewery, where Karmeliet and Kwak beers are produced, will also be closed on Friday, and all warehouses in the country will be closed. “This means that no beer will be delivered to cafes today,” says Sander Mouton, secretary of the ACV union. “If a café owner doesn’t have a lot of inventory, the consumer can feel that.”

The reason for the strike is difficult negotiations between management and unions over wages and working conditions, which take place every two years, and workload in different places. Unions want the maximum purchasing power premiums made possible by the government, want recurring premiums to be possible and demand more guarantees for practical work. Meanwhile, unions criticize “inadequate investments in staff and infrastructure.”

AB InBev management confirms in writing that “some strikes still occur today, but the measure is no longer widely supported. At the same time, those who want to work also have access and can get to work.”

A new meeting is scheduled to be held between the administration and the unions next Friday. “We hope to resolve this situation quickly through constructive consultations,” the administration wrote. “We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact on our customers.”