JOBS AXED: The Inbev site at Cuerdale Lane, Samlesbury
MORE than 160 jobs are to be axed at a Lancashire brewery, it has been announced.
Staff at Inbev, the company that makes Stella Artois at Samlesbury, have been told that 168 workers will be made redundant when a 90-day consultation period is completed in May.
Almost half of the 380-strong workforce is set to be shed in a move that the company said was aimed at increasing efficiency.
Bosses said that a recent downturn in beer sales had hit the company hard.
Workers have reacted with shock and unions have vowed to fight the decision.
A spokesman for the GMB union said that they were in talks with bosses at the international firm, which is based in Leuven, Belgium.
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East Lancashire GMB secretary Tom Fallows said the magnitude of the job losses had been "shocking".
He said: "We will not sit idly by and watch such a large number of our members lose their jobs.
"We are in talks with the company looking at their reasons for the decision and hope to avoid redundancies and mitigate any losses."
One worker, who has been with the brewery for 18 years said staff were reeling.
He said no details of which jobs were under threat have been revealed by bosses.
The man, who asked not to be named, said: "It is terrible news for everyone here.
There are an awful lot of depressed people since the announcement."
The site in Cuerdale Lane, Samlesbury, has previously operated under the name Interbrew and as a Whitbread brewery.
Inbev brews Stella Artois, Tennent's lager, Boddingtons and Castlemaine XXXX at the factory.
Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said he was "incredibly disappointed" by the news.
He said: "This is a huge number of jobs and I am sure it will and I want to meet with the company and the union to see what can be done to stem the number of jobs that are being lost and mitigate the impact of the redundancies."
In the past few years the site has absorbed jobs from breweries that have closed.
Many staff from the Boddington's brewery in Strangeways, Manchester, were transferred to Samlesbury in 2005.
Inbev operates two other sites in the UK, Magor, near Newport in South Wales, and Wellpark brewery in Glasgow.
Posted by: Pedro, Burnley on 10:57pm Thu 27 Mar 08
Unfortunately this will only just be the start of it all. After the Labour Government shafted the working chap yet again in the last budget, less of us will be going out having a couple of pints. It's typical of Labour, they can't see the bigger picture, the knockon effect. I would like to think i'm wrong, but i doubt it.
Unfortunately this will only just be the start of it all. After the Labour Government shafted the working chap yet again in the last budget, less of us will be going out having a couple of pints. It's typical of Labour, they can't see the bigger picture, the knockon effect. I would like to think i'm wrong, but i doubt it.
Posted by: observer, hyndburn on 2:34am Fri 28 Mar 08
Did I see somewhere that 27 pubs a week, or a day even?? were closing.
Things started going downhill following the Tory beer orders.Speculators started playing Monoply with the pub estates of local breweries that had had a stake in the communities. Then the competition with Sky footy and supermarket carryouts to drink round the telly at home. Then we come to the present incompetents at Westminster - destroyed the Bingo industry with double taxation,smoking ban and gaming machine regulations. Same with the pubs - smoking ban etc. The industry on its knees and Darling bumps the tax up on the pretext of curbing binge drinking.
Who do you think you are kidding Mr Darling. What a plonker!!
Did I see somewhere that 27 pubs a week, or a day even?? were closing.
Things started going downhill following the Tory beer orders.Speculators started playing Monoply with the pub estates of local breweries that had had a stake in the communities. Then the competition with Sky footy and supermarket carryouts to drink round the telly at home. Then we come to the present incompetents at Westminster - destroyed the Bingo industry with double taxation,smoking ban and gaming machine regulations. Same with the pubs - smoking ban etc. The industry on its knees and Darling bumps the tax up on the pretext of curbing binge drinking.
Who do you think you are kidding Mr Darling. What a plonker!!
Posted by: GARY BOWERS, BLACKBURN on 5:56am Fri 28 Mar 08
This is just the tip of the Iceberg.
Stopping SMOKEING in Pubs and Clubs has killed the Old British Pub, 10`s of 000`s of Jobs will go for ever just because of a bit of SMOKE!
I hope all you people out there who shun the Smokers will be Very Happy to pay for it!!
Loss of revenue from beer, wines & Spirits also the loss with people stopping Smoking, we will have to find the Money to keep the Poor People who can`t find a Job, I just hope the Non-Smoking lobbyist have lots of saving because you will need it!
ARE YOU ALL HAPPY NOW?????
This is just the tip of the Iceberg.
Stopping SMOKEING in Pubs and Clubs has killed the Old British Pub, 10`s of 000`s of Jobs will go for ever just because of a bit of SMOKE!
I hope all you people out there who shun the Smokers will be Very Happy to pay for it!!
Loss of revenue from beer, wines & Spirits also the loss with people stopping Smoking, we will have to find the Money to keep the Poor People who can`t find a Job, I just hope the Non-Smoking lobbyist have lots of saving because you will need it!
ARE YOU ALL HAPPY NOW?????
Posted by: Freya Sykes, Wakefield on 7:55am Fri 28 Mar 08
For the last couple of months I've had a google alert on "redundancies" because we are wanting to let folk who have been made redundant about our franchise offering - in case they are wanting to have a career change as a result of their circumstances. I can tell you that out of the 468 companies that I've recently approached who are making redundancies only 1 has said they are having a jobs fair or helping their staff find alternative jobs in any way. The rest seem only to be dumping their staff without a care for their futures. That I feel is a disgrace, especially when some of the staff being made redundant will have worked loyaly for those companies for years.
What a shame that at a time when these workers need all the help they can get - the companies who are placing them in that position aren't passing on information about the alternatives out there for them.
www.homefinderuk.com
For the last couple of months I've had a google alert on "redundancies" because we are wanting to let folk who have been made redundant about our franchise offering - in case they are wanting to have a career change as a result of their circumstances. I can tell you that out of the 468 companies that I've recently approached who are making redundancies only 1 has said they are having a jobs fair or helping their staff find alternative jobs in any way. The rest seem only to be dumping their staff without a care for their futures. That I feel is a disgrace, especially when some of the staff being made redundant will have worked loyaly for those companies for years.
What a shame that at a time when these workers need all the help they can get - the companies who are placing them in that position aren't passing on information about the alternatives out there for them.
Posted by: anon, the brewery on 8:53am Fri 28 Mar 08
i've over 20 yrs in at the brewery and this annoucment has ripped the heart out of many of us.they say there is to many people for the amount of beer we produce yet we still employ agency/temps to keep the lines running that one really needs explaining to us.it's not just samlesbury being hit magor have also announced a similar number of jobs to go and wellpark have announced 7.2 words come to mind.CORPORATE GREED
i've over 20 yrs in at the brewery and this annoucment has ripped the heart out of many of us.they say there is to many people for the amount of beer we produce yet we still employ agency/temps to keep the lines running that one really needs explaining to us.it's not just samlesbury being hit magor have also announced a similar number of jobs to go and wellpark have announced 7.2 words come to mind.CORPORATE GREED
Posted by: Merlin, The Voice of Reason, Ramsbottom on 10:30am Fri 28 Mar 08
[quote][bold]GARY BOWERS[/bold] wrote:
This is just the tip of the Iceberg.
Stopping SMOKEING in Pubs and Clubs has killed the Old British Pub, 10`s of 000`s of Jobs will go for ever just because of a bit of SMOKE!
I hope all you people out there who shun the Smokers will be Very Happy to pay for it!!
Loss of revenue from beer, wines & Spirits also the loss with people stopping Smoking, we will have to find the Money to keep the Poor People who can`t find a Job, I just hope the Non-Smoking lobbyist have lots of saving because you will need it!
ARE YOU ALL HAPPY NOW?????[/quote] Yes, I feel sorry for those who end up losing their jobs and I hope they find alternative employment quickly.
However, please do not blame the non-smokers for this. It is smokers who are staying away from pubs (although I suspect this will be temporary). I go to a pub to drink, not smoke. Can't smokers last for a couple of hours without a fag? How weak-willed and lily-livered!!
And, Gary, any loss of revenue from this temporary drop in alcohol sales in pubs will be compensated, presumably, by increased in sales of booze in the supermarket and the off-licence, from smokers drinking in their smoke filled living rooms?
There will also be a dividend for the NHS, resulting from reduced cancer, stroke and heart disease treatment costs.
GARY BOWERS wrote:
This is just the tip of the Iceberg.
Stopping SMOKEING in Pubs and Clubs has killed the Old British Pub, 10`s of 000`s of Jobs will go for ever just because of a bit of SMOKE!
I hope all you people out there who shun the Smokers will be Very Happy to pay for it!!
Loss of revenue from beer, wines & Spirits also the loss with people stopping Smoking, we will have to find the Money to keep the Poor People who can`t find a Job, I just hope the Non-Smoking lobbyist have lots of saving because you will need it!
ARE YOU ALL HAPPY NOW?????
Yes, I feel sorry for those who end up losing their jobs and I hope they find alternative employment quickly.
However, please do not blame the non-smokers for this. It is smokers who are staying away from pubs (although I suspect this will be temporary). I go to a pub to drink, not smoke. Can't smokers last for a couple of hours without a fag? How weak-willed and lily-livered!!
And, Gary, any loss of revenue from this temporary drop in alcohol sales in pubs will be compensated, presumably, by increased in sales of booze in the supermarket and the off-licence, from smokers drinking in their smoke filled living rooms?
There will also be a dividend for the NHS, resulting from reduced cancer, stroke and heart disease treatment costs.
Posted by: Concerned Person, North West on 1:31pm Fri 28 Mar 08
In the article it states that " Many Staff fro Boddingtons transferred to Samlesbury ". This is in fact not quite true as only a handful were employed, in fact there were less than 20. The said company took revenge on the workers for trying to save their livelihoods and promised but did not fulfill the promise.
Yet again its a spack in the face of the workers that a foreign owners can treat them with contept as they do abroad. Come the Revolution Brothers.
In the article it states that " Many Staff fro Boddingtons transferred to Samlesbury ". This is in fact not quite true as only a handful were employed, in fact there were less than 20. The said company took revenge on the workers for trying to save their livelihoods and promised but did not fulfill the promise.
Yet again its a spack in the face of the workers that a foreign owners can treat them with contept as they do abroad. Come the Revolution Brothers.
Posted by: Pride of Preston, North West on 3:11pm Fri 28 Mar 08
The total number of redundancies between the three sites is in the region of 390. Does the management of these breweries expect the remaining workers to run themselves into the ground. I think if you sliced the managers in two they would`nt bleed but read InBev through and through. Picking up on a point from, anon , all they want to do is fill the place with Temps and such so they do`nt have to pay sickness and holiday payments. So getting a bigger bonus for themselves and " The Company ".
Role back the days when a brewery was run by managers who new their staff by name and treated them like human beings and not as part of the furniture.
The total number of redundancies between the three sites is in the region of 390. Does the management of these breweries expect the remaining workers to run themselves into the ground. I think if you sliced the managers in two they would`nt bleed but read InBev through and through. Picking up on a point from, anon , all they want to do is fill the place with Temps and such so they do`nt have to pay sickness and holiday payments. So getting a bigger bonus for themselves and " The Company ".
Role back the days when a brewery was run by managers who new their staff by name and treated them like human beings and not as part of the furniture.
Posted by: Peter, Blackburn on 8:15pm Fri 28 Mar 08
[quote][bold]observer[/bold] wrote:
Did I see somewhere that 27 pubs a week, or a day even?? were closing.
Things started going downhill following the Tory beer orders.Speculators started playing Monoply with the pub estates of local breweries that had had a stake in the communities. Then the competition with Sky footy and supermarket carryouts to drink round the telly at home. Then we come to the present incompetents at Westminster - destroyed the Bingo industry with double taxation,smoking ban and gaming machine regulations. Same with the pubs - smoking ban etc. The industry on its knees and Darling bumps the tax up on the pretext of curbing binge drinking.
Who do you think you are kidding Mr Darling. What a plonker!!
[/quote] It was only a matter of time when Labour put tax up on beer as they have to recoup the money as not so many people arnt smoking now.
BLAME THE SNOBS
observer wrote:
Did I see somewhere that 27 pubs a week, or a day even?? were closing.
Things started going downhill following the Tory beer orders.Speculators started playing Monoply with the pub estates of local breweries that had had a stake in the communities. Then the competition with Sky footy and supermarket carryouts to drink round the telly at home. Then we come to the present incompetents at Westminster - destroyed the Bingo industry with double taxation,smoking ban and gaming machine regulations. Same with the pubs - smoking ban etc. The industry on its knees and Darling bumps the tax up on the pretext of curbing binge drinking.
Who do you think you are kidding Mr Darling. What a plonker!!
It was only a matter of time when Labour put tax up on beer as they have to recoup the money as not so many people arnt smoking now.
BLAME THE SNOBS
Posted by: out and about, samlesbury on 1:07am Sat 29 Mar 08
is it true inbev have sacked all the managers for little reason and then brought in foriegners who are talking to and treating people in a disgusting way too?and that they have closed the canteen on nights and weekends?and are asset stripping?and threatening people with the sack if they have an accident?
is it true inbev have sacked all the managers for little reason and then brought in foriegners who are talking to and treating people in a disgusting way too?and that they have closed the canteen on nights and weekends?and are asset stripping?and threatening people with the sack if they have an accident?
Posted by: Bullwinkle!!!!!, home on 2:01pm Sat 29 Mar 08
out and about, your comments are spot on. They are creating new roles for team leaders and managers so that they wont lose there jobs. Its the little folks like us that will suffer because they are replacing us with agency and temps who have already started working there! Before long there will only be agency and temps employed there!
out and about, your comments are spot on. They are creating new roles for team leaders and managers so that they wont lose there jobs. Its the little folks like us that will suffer because they are replacing us with agency and temps who have already started working there! Before long there will only be agency and temps employed there!
Posted by: paying public, at the bar on 4:02am Mon 31 Mar 08
if i worked at the brewery i would take my redundancy and start a buy british beer campaign.there has never been a better time to drink real ale.i was a stella man but theres no way an englishman is going to drink a lager which is from a country that so many of our relatives died in during the hell of war and have the belgians corporate greed pay us back by choosing money before men.we will fight them on the beaches,in the bowling alley
if i worked at the brewery i would take my redundancy and start a buy british beer campaign.there has never been a better time to drink real ale.i was a stella man but theres no way an englishman is going to drink a lager which is from a country that so many of our relatives died in during the hell of war and have the belgians corporate greed pay us back by choosing money before men.we will fight them on the beaches,in the bowling alley
Posted by: Steve, Blackburn on 6:03pm Mon 31 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Merlin, The Voice of Reason[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]GARY BOWERS[/bold] wrote: This is just the tip of the Iceberg. Stopping SMOKEING in Pubs and Clubs has killed the Old British Pub, 10`s of 000`s of Jobs will go for ever just because of a bit of SMOKE! I hope all you people out there who shun the Smokers will be Very Happy to pay for it!! Loss of revenue from beer, wines & Spirits also the loss with people stopping Smoking, we will have to find the Money to keep the Poor People who can`t find a Job, I just hope the Non-Smoking lobbyist have lots of saving because you will need it! ARE YOU ALL HAPPY NOW?????[/quote] Yes, I feel sorry for those who end up losing their jobs and I hope they find alternative employment quickly. However, please do not blame the non-smokers for this. It is smokers who are staying away from pubs (although I suspect this will be temporary). I go to a pub to drink, not smoke. Can't smokers last for a couple of hours without a fag? How weak-willed and lily-livered!! And, Gary, any loss of revenue from this temporary drop in alcohol sales in pubs will be compensated, presumably, by increased in sales of booze in the supermarket and the off-licence, from smokers drinking in their smoke filled living rooms? There will also be a dividend for the NHS, resulting from reduced cancer, stroke and heart disease treatment costs. [/quote] Well, Merlin.
For a start it IS the non smokers who brought about the smoking ban, and it's not the fact we can't smoke that's stopping people going to the pub, it's the ridiculous price and tax increases.
There won't be a big enough increase in supermarket sales to compensate for pub losses, which will lead to more job losses across the brewing industry. Home drinking is not the answer, I can't think of too many people with a pool table, dartboard, jukebox and seating for a couple of dozen people.
Finally, there will NOT be a dividend for the NHS as taxation from cigarettes raises about four times what is spent treating "smoking related" illnesses.
So Merlin, you happen to be magically wrong on all three counts.
Merlin, The Voice of Reason wrote:
GARY BOWERS wrote: This is just the tip of the Iceberg. Stopping SMOKEING in Pubs and Clubs has killed the Old British Pub, 10`s of 000`s of Jobs will go for ever just because of a bit of SMOKE! I hope all you people out there who shun the Smokers will be Very Happy to pay for it!! Loss of revenue from beer, wines & Spirits also the loss with people stopping Smoking, we will have to find the Money to keep the Poor People who can`t find a Job, I just hope the Non-Smoking lobbyist have lots of saving because you will need it! ARE YOU ALL HAPPY NOW?????
Yes, I feel sorry for those who end up losing their jobs and I hope they find alternative employment quickly. However, please do not blame the non-smokers for this. It is smokers who are staying away from pubs (although I suspect this will be temporary). I go to a pub to drink, not smoke. Can't smokers last for a couple of hours without a fag? How weak-willed and lily-livered!! And, Gary, any loss of revenue from this temporary drop in alcohol sales in pubs will be compensated, presumably, by increased in sales of booze in the supermarket and the off-licence, from smokers drinking in their smoke filled living rooms? There will also be a dividend for the NHS, resulting from reduced cancer, stroke and heart disease treatment costs.
Well, Merlin.
For a start it IS the non smokers who brought about the smoking ban, and it's not the fact we can't smoke that's stopping people going to the pub, it's the ridiculous price and tax increases.
There won't be a big enough increase in supermarket sales to compensate for pub losses, which will lead to more job losses across the brewing industry. Home drinking is not the answer, I can't think of too many people with a pool table, dartboard, jukebox and seating for a couple of dozen people.
Finally, there will NOT be a dividend for the NHS as taxation from cigarettes raises about four times what is spent treating "smoking related" illnesses.
So Merlin, you happen to be magically wrong on all three counts.
I find this whole thing absolutley disgusting! The company made a significant number of redundancies not two years ago, and now are putting the workers through the stress of it all over again, accept this time its 160 of them that will lose thier jobs. Many of the workers are 50+, having put in 30 odd years at this site. Many of them will be unable/find it tough to find employment again. The site itself is not actually losing money, its just not making as much as the greedy company would like. Why are hardworking, skilled people, being laid off, only to be replaced by agency supplied Eastern europeans who need to be trained up and are not nearly as qualified???? Beacause they will do the job for minimum wage. Its horrific. For those that do stay, the conditions look dire, understaffed ETC. Hope somethings is resolved, and good luck to all the workers
I find this whole thing absolutley disgusting! The company made a significant number of redundancies not two years ago, and now are putting the workers through the stress of it all over again, accept this time its 160 of them that will lose thier jobs. Many of the workers are 50+, having put in 30 odd years at this site. Many of them will be unable/find it tough to find employment again. The site itself is not actually losing money, its just not making as much as the greedy company would like. Why are hardworking, skilled people, being laid off, only to be replaced by agency supplied Eastern europeans who need to be trained up and are not nearly as qualified???? Beacause they will do the job for minimum wage. Its horrific. For those that do stay, the conditions look dire, understaffed ETC. Hope somethings is resolved, and good luck to all the workers
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