Stella Artois wildcat ends

A wildcat strike by Stella Artois workers in Leuven, Belgium has been ended after the company came to an agreement with its workers.

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2008

InBev, the world's second-largest beer producer by volume, said on Monday that it had struck a deal with its Belgian workers to end a round of industrial action that had hampered its operations. The company has said in a statement that the agreement was positive for both itself and its workers.

A wildcat strike by white-collar staff had halted production at its main Stella Artois plant on Friday 25th April. The workers' union had notified the company of their intention to strike, but the action was supposed to begin only on Wednesday 30th April.

Demonstrating staff set up blockades at the main Stella Artois plant in Leuven and prevented workers entering the plant for the planned shift change at 2pm, bringing production to a halt. Striking staff also blocked the entrance to another site in the southern town of Jupille, although InBev management claim production was not hit.

Workers and management have been in dispute over a plan to introduce a system of flexible pay linked to performance for some 180 sales staff.

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