Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Laurel, Gary & Mark asked listeners to shared their memories of when XXXX workers walked off the job in 1979 to support their log of claims.

Part 2

 


The big beer strike was September-November in 1979, when Fourex workers walked off in support of a log of claims.

In those days, Fourex had the lion's share – and then some – of the Queensland market, and drinkers soon became very thirsty indeed.

 Beer was trucked in from interstate, most from Tooheys in NSW.

The Courage label got an unexpected run here, and later arrivals were from South Australia. Members of the dyed-in-the-maroon-wool "I'll never drink anything but Fourex" brigade had to swallow their pride, and the contents of West End cans from Adelaide.

A keg of Fourex cost publicans just over $50 when the strike started. By the time it ended, a keg – if a hotelier could find one – was about $80.

Draught beer was rationed by publicans and sometimes kept for weekends, with bottles and cans only Monday-to-Friday.

Sanity returned when the strike ended.