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Benefits for the local industry
Although, according to Saulius Galadauskas, president of the Lithuanian Brewers Guild, the sales revenue of brewers does not make up a significant part of the country’s gross domestic product, the contribution of this industry to the country’s economy is enormous.
Beer differs from other alcoholic beverages in that all raw materials are needed to produce this product, locally grown and grown in the Lithuanian agricultural industry. The main raw material is malt. This is barley for malt grown in Lithuania, and brewers consume more than 50 thousand tons every year.
© DELFI montage
The beer road
“In the last ten years, Lithuanian brewers have consumed around 420 thousand. Tons of malt obtained from more than half a million tons of malting barley, which would require around 100 thousand tons to grow. Hectares of crops”, says S. Galadauskas.
© DELFI montage
The beer road
The interlocutor also highlights that beer brewing is also a regional industry, as there are more than seventy breweries in Lithuania with about 3,000 employees. workers.
“According to data from international auditors, brewing beer in Lithuania creates another 14 thousand more jobs. Indirectly – through the supply of raw materials, logistics, for example, large brewers hire transport companies to distribute their products. , through trade, marketing and other services ”, – S. Galadauskas highlights the importance of the beer sector.
© DELFI montage
The beer road
Employee welfare
This industry is also characterized by extremely excellent conditions for employees. The president of the Lithuanian Brewers Guild says jobs in beer companies are in high demand.
“I can’t speak for all brewers, but if we talk about the greats in our association, the average salary they offer is 2.3 thousand. excluding management salaries. Consider that the average salary in Lithuania is 1,381 thousand. euros. They are solid numbers ”, emphasizes S. Galadauskas.
© DELFI montage
The beer road
Breweries belonging to the Lithuanian Brewers Guild also have collective agreements, which are characterized by countless additional benefits for their employees.
“Some brewers even pay for employee massages, I’m not talking about various benefits for family vacations. Many brewers also have collective agreements with a long list of benefits. In my opinion, employees are really looking forward to getting a job in the beer sector, ”says S. Galadauskas.
Social initiatives
S. Galadauskas reveals that today the situation in the country limits the development of social projects, because the advertising of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in Lithuania, which prevents the continuation of successful social projects in the past, which marks the concern of the industry by society.
After the 2016 elections, the new government banned all beer advertising and, by voting for the advertising ban, brewers were also heavily criticized for social advertising, because all social ads had the Guild logo, so the brewers decided to refrain from social advertising for some time.
The Brewers Guild has always advocated for moderate and responsible beer drinking and has never hosted events or festivals where beer may be consumed in excess. Already 17 years ago, the Guild refused to support the beer festival “Three days, three nights”, which was held in Vingis Park, precisely because there could not be avoided excessive consumption and that festival ceased to exist “, he says the president of the Guild.
© DELFI / Tomas Vinickas
Saulius Galadauskas
And the history of successful and effective social advertising of this association is also attested by the awards it has won. In 2010, the Lithuanian Business Confederation awarded the Lithuanian Brewers Guild the “Socially Responsible Company 2010” award for the social advertising campaign “For self-expression of young people without alcohol 18+”.
This campaign also attracted youth authorities such as tennis player Ričardas Berankis, basketball player Martynas Gecevičius, DJ Mamania – Artūras Matkevičius.
This was followed by the campaign “Let’s create jobs in Lithuania”. Later – “Against alcohol for minors” with Jonas Valančiūnas, “Do not drive drunk” with the ironic “Tomb of the drunk driver”, social action in the capital “Have fun safely” with the Vilnius Police Station III and other actions various.
“The Lithuanian Business Confederation annually organizes the” Corporate Social Responsibility “awards, and the Lithuanian Brewers Guild, which unites the country’s brewers, received such an evaluation in 2010, when social responsibility projects have not yet they were as widespread as now and the norms of social responsibility were less ingrained in society.
I remember many initiatives of Lithuanian brewers dedicated to the responsible consumption of beer. Businesses have always advocated for moderate consumption and have helped educate the public on these issues. I would like to see more initiatives of this type carried out in the country, ”says Andrius Romanovskis, president of the Lithuanian Business Confederation.
© DELFI / Domantas Pipas
Andrius Romanovskis
Other issues of social responsibility
For many years, the Guild has also financed sports and cultural activities and contributed to various charities. For this, more than 18 million euros have been allocated in ten years.
“We want Lithuanian sport and culture to prosper, because this is our country. We are all citizens who want to participate in social, cultural and sports life,” says the president of the Lithuanian Brewers Guild.
And by promoting the responsible consumption mentioned above, Lithuanian brewers have also achieved the set goals: the culture of consumption is growing, especially among representatives of the younger generation. This is evidenced by the increased consumption of non-alcoholic beer. And a conscious society now dictates other social responsibility priorities.
“When we reached 5 percent. growth in non-alcoholic beer consumption, this seemed to be a very small number. However, this is around 10 million. liters of non-alcoholic beer. When we see awareness, other social responsibility priorities emerge: the green economy. We work a lot here ”, says S. Galadauskas.
For example, Guild members financed the establishment of Lithuania’s warehouse beverage packaging system with € 5 million and largely financed its maintenance.
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