Beer giant Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) has told staff it is cancelling Christmas in a backlash to ongoing industrial action and a union-led boycott.
A memo sent out by Abbotsford site manager Sebastian Siccita this week informed CUB staff of the plan to cancel its family Christmas fair, stating:
Please be advised if there are personnel questioning whether or not the Xmas fair this year will be occurring, the business has decided that it will not be occurring.
Sources told BuzzFeed News CUB's motive for dropping the annual Christmas event is unclear, but they suspect it's the result of declining revenue brought on by the industrial dispute and subsequent union-led boycott of CUB beer, cider, and spirits, which include Carlton Draught, Carlton Dry, VB, Crown Lager, and Pure Blonde, as well as ciders Mercury and Strongbow.
In June, CUB sacked the entire maintenance workforce at its Abbotsford plant, Melbourne's biggest brewery, before inviting them to reapply for their old jobs on individual contracts with pay cuts of up to 65%.
The laid-off electricians and fitters, known as the "CUB 55", have been protesting outside the gates of the brewery 12 hours a day since the layoffs, with CUB forced to bus non-union workers through the picket line each day.
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) told BuzzFeed News that workers inside the factory say the industrial action has more than halved factory production from 1.1 million slabs of beer a week to as low as 180,000, meaning the Abbotsford plant is operating at a $2 million loss every week.
If there is a reduction in manufacturing, the ETU expects CUB stockpiles to dry up during the peak summer period of Christmas parties, New Year's Eve, and the cricket.
"Once the weather heats up, and the Christmas festive period kicks in, they're going to be in a bit of trouble," Jason Gibson from the ETU Victoria told BuzzFeed News.
CUB disputed that claim, saying there has been no impact on production or sales.
"The picket has not impacted supply going into or coming out of the site or the brewing of beer," CUB spokesperson Jennifer Howard told BuzzFeed News.
Howard said CUB is focused on resolving the industrial dispute.
The CUB 55 have held two Fair Work Australia arbitration sessions with managers in recent weeks that Gibson said "haven't been particularly productive".
"They seem to be making very slow progress," he said.
Gibson said morale is "really good", considering the CUB 55 have been out of work for nearly four months, and he's "pretty sure they're all still intending to hang on right until the end and still expecting to get their jobs back".
There is another Fair Work meeting scheduled for two weeks' time, but Gibson said the general feeling is "no one can see it being resolved any time before Christmas".
The ETU and the Australian Manufacturing and Workers Union (AMWU) have led a community boycott of more than 70 brands of alcohol sold by CUB, including beer, cider, scotch, vodka, ouzo, gin, tequila, and rum.
The union has labelled CUB management "grinches" with hearts "two sizes too small" for cancelling Christmas celebrations, and is stepping in to throw a replacement end-of-year party.
"The CUB grinches are coming to spoil Christmas," the AMWU told members. "Good thing the unions have the workers' backs, and will hold our own Family Christmas Fair, hosted by the CUB 55."
The ETU has bought advertising space on radio during Spring Racing season to promote the boycott, and plans to roll out billboards around the country in the next few weeks.
Pubs and clubs around the country have been switching off CUB-branded beer on tap in solidarity with the sacked workers, and more than 7,000 people have joined the Boycott CUB Facebook group.
CUB told BuzzFeed News it is aware of the boycott and respects the rights of unions and their members to express their views.
"However we are disappointed they are calling for drinkers to boycott our beers as a result of this dispute," Howard said. "We are focused on resolving the issue through Fair Work."
