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UK: InBev is to close the Boddingtons Brewery. Workers at Boddingtons went on a wildcat strike on Tuesday afternoon as anger mounted over controversial plans to close Manchester's historic brewery.

All daytime production staff at the Strangeways plant, which has been operating since 1778, walked out just before 1pm in protest at threats to axe jobs. Earlier, officials from the T and G union met senior management figures from InBev - formerly Interbrew - the Belgium-based brewing giant that owns Boddies, which has proposed the closure. Staff hoped the meeting would produce a breakthrough and a change of heart by the company.

But after two hours of talks, union representatives told the workforce that InBev was still determined to close the brewery, with the loss of 55 jobs. Angry workers then decided to walk out and stay out for 24 hours. Their action was not sanctioned by the T and G, which had not expected such a furious reaction on the shop floor.

InBev announced last week that it would be shutting the Boddingtons Brewery in Manchester, home to the “Cream of Manchester” for almost 200 years. Interbrew UK, which owns the Stella Artois and Beck’s brands, said that it was planning to shift production of cask Boddingtons to the rival Hydes Brewery in Manchester under contract. Production of its non-cask ales will be moved to Preston, South Wales and Glasgow. Cask ale Boddingtons, which InBev says accounts for 10 % of business, is set to be produced at Hyde's brewery in Moss Side.

The shock announcement came two years after the M.E.N, the union and the workers combined to persuade InBev to drop a similar plan. But the brewing giant says that it has now done all it can to try to keep the site open. The company says that there has been a 14.5 % drop in sales of Boddingtons cask ales in the past two years.

But the T and G disputes the figures and is calling on workers in InBev plants around the world to back their campaign to stay open.

Workers held an angry meeting a night before when they unanimously backed plans to oppose the closure. They argue that the brewery is performing within budgets, increasing production and is in better shape than two years ago. One of those Boddies staff present said: "This was one of the most angry meetings I have seen in many years at this place. The people here feel like they've been sold down the river and they want to take this fight to InBev at the very highest level."

The Belgian brewer, which is changing its name to InBev following its merger with AmBev of Brazil, is also moving production of Bass Ale, another of its products, ahead of the ending of an existing brewing contract with Coors, the US beer company.

The Boddingtons Brewery was originally called the Strangeway Brewery after the adjoining prison but later took the name of Henry Boddington, who first worked there aged 19 in 1832. He became the sole owner in 1853.


15 September, 2004