Staff from brewer AB InBev strikes 24 hours
The staff in the Belgian breweries and warehouses of AB InBev have stopped working for 24 hours. The trade unions demand that wages are correctly paid and that the management guarantees job security.
The AB InBev sites of Leuven, Hoegaarden, Jupille and Bellevue and all warehouses in Belgium have gone on strike today. Workers, employees and executives all participate.
According to Kris Vanautgaerden of the Christian trade union ACV, the ongoing negotiations on the sector agreement are going in the wrong direction : "We have had income and job security guarantees for a number of years now, but the management does not want to expand it any further."
In addition, AB InBev has been unable to pay wages correctly for years, explains the trade unionist: "This has to do with the fact that the payroll administration has been outsourced to a company in India. And that is where it all goes wrong."
He also complains about the fact AB InBev, as the largest brewing group, is unable to pay social contributions correctly: "This has enormous consequences for the employees, because it means that they receive less pension. Something needs to be done."
Normally, a meeting with the management is planned on Thursday.