Carlsberg workers of the world unite!

Over 1000 Carlsberg workers have today downed tools and staged a mass walkout of their main brewery in Denmark. The reason?

Perhaps, like the ever-so-hard-put-upon British Airways workers, they were being asked to bring their working hours, practices, expenses and salaries in line with their industry co-workers. Perhaps they were threatened with mass redundancies or the end of final salary pension schemes?

No. Believe it or not (and frankly, I’d take a job there tomorrow), the workers at Carlsberg have coolers dotted around the factory dishing out free beers to anyone who wants them – an unlimited amount a day! Sounds bloody brilliant to me. The evil Carlsberg bosses, however, have decided to limit them to a mere three beers per day, and only at lunchtime.

Eight hundred workers walked out on Wednesday, a further 250 on Thursday, and now the company’s truck drivers have joined the strike in sympathy. And would you believe it, but the truck drivers have always been allowed the free beers too! Indeed, because they are less likely to have time for lunch, they are actually exempt from the new rules and can take three bottles from the canteen to drink on the road. I’m sorry – the what?

The new rules were brought in on April 1, which has some amusing connotations, but this is no April Fool. Jens Bekke, company spokesman, confirmed the strike and said that Carlsberg had been considering stricter limits for some time and had only this month got around to introducing them. Probably been half cut since Christmas…

He explained that workers were not allowed to be drunk at work – “it was up to each and everyone to be responsible” – and that all Carlsberg delivery trucks are fitted with ignition locks preventing personnel from driving while intoxicated.

Excellent.