Japanese beverage company Lion has denied claims that the XXXX Brisbane brewery will be closing, following reports that the facility would be shut due to pay disputes.
Lion spokesperson Dan Holland has assured that the brewery will not be closing and is in fact looking to hire five more people.
“There are no job losses or changes,” he said in a statement, adding that the company was “actually hiring five more permanent people”, not firing workers.
“In fact, there will be pay offers on the table – on top of the best pay and work conditions in brewing in Queensland,” said Holland.
However, United Voice coordinator Damien Davies claimed workers at the Castlemaine Perkins brewery in Milton had received threats that the plant would close if negotiations to eliminate full-time jobs in favour of labour-hire, part-time and casual positions were not successful.
Referring to the five new positions which Lion has claimed to be hiring for, Davies has alleged that these are part-time positions which will replace full-time roles. He has called upon Lion to put its claims in writing and commit to full-time jobs in its Queensland brewery.