CARACAS: Venezuela could be facing a national beer shortage as workers go on strike at two leading breweries.
Workers have gone on strike at two factories belonging to the brewer Polar, as well as at 16 distribution centres across the country.
Two factories in Caracas and Anzoategui state are now closed, half of Polar’s four factories.
The other two, in the centre and west of the country, are running at reduced capacity.
The privately-owned brewery makes up to 80 per cent of the country’s beer.
‘They’ve delayed our collective contract for over 20 months, and the company refuses to recognise our union,’ said spokesman Jose Rojas.
The company’s biggest union said the workers are striking to pre-empt a shortage of bottle caps and cases.
The shortage is expected to force a halt in operations in the country, which is one of the 10 largest consumers of beer in the world.
A spokesperson for the union, Jhonny Magdaleno, said that the company is attempting to disguise the strike as a labour dispute, in order to conceal the lack of raw materials.
‘The only thing we want is raw materials; we don’t want a political show,’ said Mr Magdaleno.
The company claims that the strike is due to a pay dispute.
