Canada: Labatt Breweries cuts 60 jobs

According to a company official statement of June 16, thirteen people at the Labatt Breweries office in London have lost their jobs as a result of a restructuring, The London Free Press posted June 17.

The London job cuts are part of a centralization that will see 60 Labatt white-collar jobs lost across Canada, with some of the work going to Brazil, headquarters of AmBev, said James Vill-eneuve, vice-president of corporate communications.

Both AmBev and Labatt are part of the world's biggest beer producer, InBev SA, headquartered in Belgium.

Villeneuve said the London job cuts are in payroll, accounting, and some low-level managerial positions. The other 47 positions will be lost from Labatt operations in Montreal, Toronto and Halifax. The work formerly done in London will be moved to Mississauga, Moncton, New Brunswick and Brazil.

Some staff from the AmBev office in Brazil came to London for training as part of the restructuring. "We are trying to take advantage of existing centres to do work that was spread out all over the place," said Villeneuve. He said some functions, such as payroll for the London brewery workers, will be run out of Brazil to improve efficiency.

"Most of it is electronic, so they may get a direct deposit out of a system housed in Brazil."

No production jobs in the London brewery are affected by the restructuring. London continues to prosper as the company's brewing centre in Ontario, said Vill-eneuve. London benefited from a Labatt decision in 2005 to close its Toronto brewery. Last year the London brewery saw a $40-million expansion and the transfer of 61 jobs here to boost production.

The new marketing campaign for Labatt Blue, the flagship brand, is also doing well, said Villeneuve. The Here's to Real Beer campaign features historical material drawn from Labatt's roots here in London.

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