This Christmas season could experience a shortage of BEER as strike action was initiated by Tooheys workers yesterday.
The supply of some of the most sought-after beers in NSW – including Tooheys New, Extra Dry, Old, XXXX Gold, Hahn products, White Stag, and international brands like Heineken and Becks – may be affected by the ongoing pay dispute.
At the beer giant’s factory in western Sydney, brewery technicians are set to commence a week of strike action designed to limit the quantity of beer the company can produce during the busy summer period.
Having been located at the Lidcombe site since 1978, this factory is responsible for producing all of Tooheys’ beer, which totals approximately 3.3 million hectolitres yearly.
Among the 1100 employees at the brewery, 84 are brewery technicians who play a crucial role in overseeing the recipes and ingredients used.
The technicians are demanding a 4.5 percent salary increase and have expressed that a 3 percent proposal from Tooheys’ parent company, Lion Nathan, is inequitable.
“We always regarded striking as a last resort, but sadly, Lion Nathan has left us no other option,” stated Tara Moriarty from the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union.
Lion Nathan asserted yesterday that the strike would not impede supply during the summer months.
“A spokesman announced, ‘There will be no disruption to supply.'”
However, workers warned that extended strikes could harm the beer producer, which held 43 percent of the NSW market back in 2007.
This strike occurs at a particularly challenging time for Lion Nathan, as factory workers typically transition from a five-day to a seven-day overtime schedule to accommodate summer demand.
As part of the strike, workers are refusing to work on weekends and are limiting their schedule to a five-day workweek.
On Friday, a 24-hour strike will take place, after which a decision will be made about the potential continuation of the action.
“Our members certainly don’t wish to annoy the beer-drinking public leading up to summer and Christmas, but regrettably, we were left without viable options,” Ms. Moriarty commented.
On Thursday, Lion Nathan sought intervention from Fair Work Australia to prevent the workers from engaging in “unprotected action.”
FWA Commissioner Collin Thatcher issued an interim order that expires on Tuesday. Nonetheless, the nature of the action was determined to be “protected” based on its organization.
