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Labatt Breweries cut its temporary summer workforce, laying off about 45 employees, as demand for the suds has slowed, said the union representing workers.

The temporary complement is usually at the London plant until the end of August, but the cool spring delayed the drinking weather and there is a lot of beer on the shelves, said Jeff Robinson, chairperson, Local One, Service Employees International Union, representing brewery workers.

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“Labatt hires students to cover for production demand. There is not the production they anticipated. That is what is behind these layoffs,” he said.

“The plan was to have them for the entire summer,” and some other temporary workers were laid off as well.

The cuts mean the end of two 12-hour weekend shifts on the bottling line, he added.

In addition, the London Horton Street plant relies on bottle sales for a full third of its workforce, and the can is outselling the bottle.