The Manchester Evening News and Manchesteronline are backing a major new campaign to keep Boddingtons brewery jobs in the city.

The newspaper says Boddingtons is as Mancunian as Manchester United, Coronation Street and Oasis – and has long-traded on its Northern Traditions.

Pint anyone?

But Interbrew, the Belgian-based company that owns the Strangeways brewery, has said it will cut the city-based workforce from 107 to less than 40. It says the changes are part of a review of its European operation.

And it plans to move brewing of the drink
that is part of Manchester’s heritage to South Wales and Preston.

The workforce, the MEN and devotees of the drink believe it would be wrong for ‘Boddies’ to be brewed anywhere but Manchester.

The workforce and the Transport and General Workers Union fear Interbrew will not keep open a brewery for long if it is running at just 20 per cent of capacity. They are worried Interbrew will eventually cease all production and sell the site, which is in a prime location to be developed into lucrative city-centre apartments. Interbrew denies this, but insists its Manchester job-cutting is for the best.

The MEN is urging the company to reconsider its plans, and said: “To move Boddingtons out of Manchester would misjudge the beer’s place in this city’s folklore. It could also backfire economically, when locals and Boddies lovers outside Manchester realise its much-trumpeted links with the city have gone.”

The newspaper understands that Interbrew has a business to run and profits to maintain.

It said: “But we would like Interbrew to appreciate that axeing almost two-thirds of the Manchester workforce could have a more damaging effect on its balance sheet than any other cost-cutting measures.”

For the latest on the campaign visit www.manchesteronline.co.uk.

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