Heineken Plans To Cut 8,000 Jobs As The Pandemic Takes It’s Toll

Heineken Plans To Cut 8,000 Jobs As The Coronavirus Pandemic Takes It’s Toll On The Brewer.

Brewing giant Heineken has announced it plans to cut 8,000 jobs as the COVID-19 lockdown takes its toll on the hospitality sector. The cuts, which amount to almost a 10th of its entire workforce, are part of a radical savings overhaul of €1.98  billion over the next two years.

Around a fifth of jobs will go at the company’s headquarters in Amsterdam. The world’s second-largest brewer after Anheuser-Busch InBev, says it is pinning all it’s recovery hopes on its premium products and new, healthier, zero-alcohol options.

The beer and pub sector is pressing the UK government to give it a reopening date. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) says restrictions on trading and lockdowns cut sales by more than half last year, equivalent to approx €9 billion of lost earnings. The government insists it has a plan for reopening the economy, which it will reveal later this month. 

The moves come as new chief executive Dolf van den Brink seeks to reshape the world’s second-largest brewer amid a pandemic that has dealt the drinks industry its worst blow in decades. Mr van den Brink, who took charge in April last year, said on Wednesday he would cut almost 10 per cent of the Dutch brewer’s 85,000 staff as part of a programme to restore margins and increase productivity.

The company, which employs about 400 people in the Republic, confirmed the redundancies but did not disclose how many jobs will be lost.

“Like many companies, the Covid pandemic has had a material impact on Heineken Ireland, in particular given the prolonged closure of the hospitality sector in 2020 and into 2021. In the context of these challenges, we have engaged in a meaningful dialogue with staff representatives on headcount reductions,” a spokeswoman said.

“This will ensure that we are in a position to manage the challenges and opportunities ahead as we continue to focus on supporting our employees, consumers and customers,” she added.

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