Hoegaarden (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A strike started at AB InBev’s Hoegaarden brewery after a worker of 35 years was fired. About 150 of 215 workers joined. Union leaders Sander Mouton and Pieter Van Der Elst want talks with management to fix issues like job security and work stress.
A strike began on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at AB InBev’s Hoegaarden brewery after the company had dismissed an employee who served it for 35 years. Many employees thought this firing was unfair. About 150 of the 215 workers stopped working, which disrupted production.
The Christian and socialist unions supported the strike. They said the company did not talk to workers or unions before making the decision. Workers were worried about job security and working conditions. They feared this could lead to more layoffs without any discussions.
What steps will AB InBev take to resolve the ongoing strike in Hoegaarden?
According to AB InBev’s management, they are sorry about the strike. They explained that the firing was part of a bigger plan to change jobs. They want to talk with the unions to solve the issue. Union leaders are not sure about this. They say workers already have too much work and stress.
According to authorities, there have been other strikes in places like Leuven and Liège over pay and work conditions. Workers want better pay, job security, and more support. A meeting is set up to discuss these issues.
According to officials, workers are not going back to work. Workers are upset about the company’s plan to change jobs in the brewing department. Management says this is not true. There has been no meeting between management and union leaders yet. Union secretary Sander Mouton said they want to talk but have not heard back from management. He is worried that management may just wait for the strike to end.
ACV secretary Sander Mouton said.
“We fear that management will no longer want to sit down at the table and that they will simply wait out the problem.”
According to ABVV union secretary Pieter Van Der Elst, talking again is important to solve the problems. He hopes that normal discussions can start soon but knows they must wait to see what happens.
The unions say the strike began because the company made decisions without asking workers. They are worried that the changes will make work harder and hurt product quality. The workers want clear talks and real communication to fix the issues.
“I hope that a normal social dialogue can take place again,”
Says Pieter Van Der Elst.
“But we have to wait and see what the day brings.”
