Overview
- Quilmes launched a voluntary separation program at its Zárate facility, targeting a reduction from roughly 140 workers to about 80.
- The brewery will move from three shifts to a single shift focused on non‑returnable glass bottling, according to union and local reports.
- The restructuring was negotiated with the beer workers’ federation FATCA to avert a full shutdown, with union delegates estimating about 60 roles at risk.
- The company’s cutbacks follow a reported sales drop of around 45% last year and sector data showing a 293% jump in beer imports in the first quarter of 2025.
- The pullback aligns with a broader industrial contraction, as SRT data show 21,938 employers and about 290,600 jobs lost between November 2023 and November 2025, while separate conciliation continues over FATE’s confirmed Virreyes closure.