InBev Belgium strike halts Stella Artois output

BRUSSELS, April 25 (Reuters) - A wild cat strike by Belgian white collar staff at InBev (INTB.BR: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's second largest brewer, brought production to a halt at its main Stella Artois plant on Friday.

Unions and management are in dispute over a plan to introduce a system of flexible pay linked to performance for some 180 sales staff.

The unions had notified InBev of their intention to strike, but the action was only supposed to begin from April 30.

Demonstrating staff set up blockades at the main Stella Artois plant in Leuven, some 25 km (15 miles) east of Brussels, and prevented workers entering the plant for the planned shift change at 2 p.m.

"Production did come to a halt, but the blockade is over and production should resume this evening," a spokeswoman said.

Striking staff also blocked the entrance to another site in the southern town of Jupille, although production was not hit, InBev said. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by David Cowell)