E-Malt.com News article: UK: A campaign has been launched to save S&N’s brewery in Berkshire

A campaign has been launched to stop the closure of the Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) brewery in Berkshire, BBC reported April 2.

Union Unite wants the firm to reverse its decision to close the former Courage brewery in Reading by 2010 with the potential loss of 362 jobs.

S&N has said it is ending work at the 58-acre site next to the M4 because there is an "over-capacity in the UK brewing industry".

Unite said it would not rule out industrial action.

Mick Pollek, regional organiser of Unite, said: "If management do not reverse this decision then we will step up our campaign and at this stage nothing will be ruled out, including industrial action.

"If this brewery closes it will have a devastating impact on the local economy of Reading. The site provides hundreds of workers and their families with a decent standard of living."

The Foster's and Kronenbourg 1664 maker is being bought by European rivals Heineken and Carlsberg for £7.8bn ($15.3bn).

S&N described the move to close the Reading brewery as "the most viable option for going forward".

The move follows the company's decision in November to shut a bottling plant at the Reading site, cutting about 250 jobs.

Edinburgh-based S&N, which employs 3,300 staff in the UK, will transfer brewing and packaging work from Reading to its other sites, which include Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, the Royal Brewery in Manchester and Dunston, Gateshead.

The move will save £13m a year and allow it to remain competitive in the UK market, a spokesman said.


02 April, 2008