Carlsberg beer supplies are under pressure after staff at the firm’s main Danish brewery went on strike over plans to restrict access to beer while at work.

Around 250 workers have gone on strike at Carlsberg’s Copenhagen brewery as a result of the new beer policy, a company spokesperson confirmed to just-drinks today (9 April).

“We are currently unable to supply customers in Copenhagen and Finland”, said the spokesperson.

Staff have been angered by Carlsberg’s decision to implement an alcohol policy, which will see the availability of free beer restricted to the brewery canteen in lunch hours.

Workers previously had access to chilled bottles of beer in several locations around the brewery.

“There were beers all over the place, but of course staff were not allowed to be drunk at work,” said the Carlsberg spokesperson.

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“We decided that it would be inappropriate not to have an alcohol policy,” he said, adding that more than 90% of Danish businesses already have policies in place.

A further 800 staff, including lorry drivers, began a “sympathy strike” with the Copenhagen workers on Wednesday, but this has since ended, Carlsberg said.

The brewer is hoping for a swift end to the dispute, which it does not expect to result in material costs.

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