XXXX Brewery workers in 24hr strike over claims of cuts to entitlements and to address pay

XXXX workers have gone on strike over alleged cuts to key entitlements amid a cost-of-living crisis.

United Workers Union and Electrical Trades Union members on strike on Milton Road at the XXXX brewery. Picture Lachie Millard

Hundreds of XXXX Brewery union members are on strike over pay disputes and claims they have been “stripped” of fair working conditions.

United Workers Union and Electrical Trades Union members at the Milton Brewery began a 24-hour strike at 6am in a bid to address reasonable pay demands.

Concerns have also been raised by union members over apprentices being exploited, claiming the company is seeking to deny “allowances and bonuses” that are paid to other workers on site.

United workers union food and beverage director Mel Gatfield said the owners of XXXX are trying to strip workers’ conditions and refusing to meet workers’ reasonable demands for a pay rise.

“When XXXX production ramps up for the forthcoming State of Origin, Queenslanders should be able to enjoy a cold one in the knowledge XXXX workers are being looked after, not being stood over. These workers don’t want to be on strike but they are proud to stand up for what is right,” she said.

United Workers Union and Electrical Trades Union members on strike on Milton Rd. Picture Lachie Millard

Union members claim XXXX had refused demands for a 15 per cent pay rise across three years.

“Workers want their reasonable demands for a pay rise to be heard, and they want to keep hard-fought-for conditions they have had for more than a decade,” Ms Gatfield said.

ETU state organiser Scott Reichman said action is about addressing cost-of-living pressures through reasonable wage increases.

“And ensuring that apprentices employed at XXXX after years of neglect are not employed simply as cheap exploitable labour,” he said.

“The agreement on the table does not address the real wage cuts suffered during those times. And to add insult to injury this wealthy multinational company is proposing that after years of not training apprentices, they now want to deny apprentices allowances and bonuses paid to all other workers on site.”

File: Workers from the XXXX Brewery protest outside the beer brewing facility in Brisbane, Thursday, April 26, 2018. AAP Image/Dan Peled)

Workers also want to keep longstanding conditions around personal leave, which the company seeks to change, that have been in placed for more than a decade, Mr Reichman said.

“They have been flexible in times like Covid, floods and other disasters, they have consistently busted their arse to get the plant back up and running, and taken lower offers to ensure viability. Now this is the thanks they get,” he said.

Brewery workers have previously threatened beer supply ahead of the Commonwealth Games over concerns about conditions and production being moved in 2018.

Global beverages giant Lion which is responsible for the production of XXXX Gold and Tooheys said it does not expect any disruptions for XXXX supply and is committed to a resolution that’s both fair and reasonable for workers.

“As always, we are committed to a resolution that’s both fair and reasonable for our people, while ensuring we can continue to grow the brand and efficiently run the brewery,” a spokeswoman said.

“We have made a very generous offer that ensures our people are paid well ahead of inflation on a rolling basis and we look forward to further discussing it with our team when we meet again on 9th April 2025.”

A Lion spokeswoman said it is “misleading to suggest Lion is reducing personal leave benefits” and currently has no apprentices at XXXX.

“We are proud to afford our team members generous paid personal leave entitlements well above the Fair Work Act. All we have sought to do is make it clearer how personal leave operates and the steps we take to support our team members,” she said.

“We have made no changes at all to the benefits themselves.

“Whilst we currently have no apprentices at XXXX, we have recently been investigating reinstating an apprentice program. Lion paid well above the award rate for apprentices in the past. We have been constructively discussing an apprentice remuneration framework that is fair and reasonable.”

Originally published as XXXX Brewery workers in 24hr strike over claims of cuts to entitlements and to address pay