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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Helena Vesty

Beer shortage fears before World Cup as brewery workers go on strike

Beer shortage could come ahead of the winter World Cup and Christmas, warn union bosses. Hundreds of Budweiser workers are on strike again after talks with management collapsed.

Staff at the beer giant’s Salmesbury site will now strike until 7am on October 22 in anger at a real terms pay cut, according to the GMB Union. Workers at the plant brew Budweiser, Stella Artois, Becks, Boddingtons and Export Pale Ale.

Meetings between GMB, the company and conciliation service ACAS collapsed last week after bosses upped their offer by £250 for 2023. The action 'carries the risk of a Christmas beer drought', union chiefs have said.

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Stephen Boden, GMB Organiser, said: ‘’We don’t believe there is any real desire from Budweiser to resolve this dispute. ’The work force is losing confidence in the management team.

‘‘Workers are now on strike until Monday. This industrial action will impact all departments and shifts across the site and carries the risk of a Christmas beer drought. Budweiser continues to ignore workers and put profit before people with this derisory pay offer. Workers are rightly angry.

“But it’s not too late for management to listen to workers and get back round the table with us to work out a fair deal.”

Anheuser-Busch InBev has been contacted for comment.

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