Supermarkets in Belgium are running out of beer produced by Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), the world's largest brewer, national media reported on Tuesday.
AB InBev employees are striking against job cuts and are picketing two brewing plants in Louvain and Jupille-sur-Meuse, Belgium.
The breweries have not been operating at full capacity for six days and can no longer supply beer to supermarkets.
The Carrefour chain said it has enough AB InBev label beer to last only until the weekend, while at rival Delhaize stocks of the brands, which include Stella Artois and Budweiser, will run out in two or three days.
A meeting between striking workers and company management is due on Thursday.
The international brewer has announced it will cut 800 jobs in Western Europe, where it employs about 8,000 people, as beer sales decline. The losses are spread across Belgium, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The company will reduce its 2,700-strong workforce in Belgium by 263 people.
The Belgian beer market is going down with annual consumption in 2008 almost 20% lower than in 2000.
BRUSSELS, January 12 (RIA Novosti)
