Alken-Maes unions threaten strikes in face of intimidation

Unions at Alken-Maes, Belgium’s second-largest brewery, have complained of a “reign of terror” being waged by management in negotiations over working conditions and threatened possible industrial action. Management, meanwhile, denied the charge and said they were open to “constructive dialogue”.

According to the union LBC-NVK, management is demanding a great deal of flexibility from employees, in light of the current troubles of the beer market. Alken-Maes, which is owned by Heineken, is still largely dependent on pils (Maes Pils and Cristal), a sector of the beer market in decline in Belgium, as consumers turn more towards speciality beers, while reducing their consumption overall.

A spokesperson said the company had abandoned talks and was now attempting to intimidate workers into accepting its terms, including the loss of nine vacation days a year. “Making employees afraid, putting them under pressure and approaching them one by one – these are things we cannot accept,” said the union spokesperson. “Social negotiations have to be respected; otherwise a consensus can never be reached.”

Union representatives will meet in the coming days to consider the company’s position. “Industrial action can certainly not be ruled out,” the spokesperson said.

The company confirmed that talks were under way to bring the working conditions of some 40 employees at the Alken brewery in Limburg into line with employees in the rest of the group. That would involve cutting the working week by half an hour without loss of pay, but also scrapping nine days from vacation and compensation days.

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