Summary
15 January 2010
In Belgium, a country famous for its beer, an industrial dispute means a blockade is threatening supplies of Stella Artois and Leffe, two of the country's favourite beers.
Reporter:
Dominic Hughes
Listen
Click to hear the report:
Report
It's scarcely believable, in beer-loving Belgium supplies of two of the country's most famous beers, Stella Artois and Leffe, could be about to run out. A week-long blockade at the headquarters of InBev, the world's biggest brewing company, has stopped any beer from leaving the brewery. Supermarkets and bars around the country have warned that stocks are running low.
The unions are protesting against plans to cut more than 250 jobs and so far talks aimed at resolving the dispute have got nowhere. But there's no need to panic just yet. There are probably around 125 breweries in Belgium producing around 800 standard beers. Add in special one-off brews, and some experts believe there could be more than 8,000.
Listen
Click to hear the vocabulary:
Grammar
- scarcely believable
very difficult to believe because it's so unlikely
- run out
finish, use or sell all of something, so that there is none left
- blockade
when a factory is surrounded by workers to stop goods (here, beer) from going in or out
- brewing
process of making beer (usually from hops, water, malt and yeast)
- brewery
place where beer is made
- stocks are running low
the supply (here, of beer) is getting very small
- unions are protesting
organised groups of workers are showing their disagreement by taking some action (for example, withdrawing their labour or here, stopping beer leaving the brewery)
- to cut
to reduce or make smaller
- talks aimed at resolving the dispute have got nowhere
discussions to try to find a solution to the problem have not been successful
- one-off
something (here, a supply or batch of beer) that is made only once
