Carlsberg Strike: Workers Walk Out Over Beer Ban

Carlsberg Workers Strike over Beer Restriction

Workers at the Carlsberg Brewery are striking for a second consecutive day. The Carlsberg workers are on strike over the company's new policy to ban the drinking of beer in the workplace except on lunch breaks. Now Carlsberg employees are limited to one beer per day, and only at lunchtime.

Carlsberg workers were allowed three free beers per day outside of lunch hour, a right which a labor spokesman says the staff should still retain, as it is a part of the employment contract. Moreover, the unilateral nature of the ban, according to union representative Dennis Onsvig, justifies a walkout.

This is no joke: 800 workers had walked out on the first day of the strike, with 250 still doing so. The Carlsberg beer strike has caused the brewery to halt or delay domestic shipments.

In case you're wondering, drivers of the Carlsberg delivery trucks (who still get the three additional beers per day) must pass a breathalyzer test every time they get behind the wheel.

Health expert Claus Hyldahl was shocked that Carlsberg workers were ever allowed that much free beer, saying "... if you're not affected after three drinks, then you have a serious alcohol problem."

Free Beer Yesterday

Jans Bekke, speaking on behalf of Carlsberg, points out the silver lining: instead of one bottle of beer, workers have access to a tap.