Coke union success

national | anti-capitalism | news report Friday April 23, 2004 16:17 by Colm Bia

Reported by IUF

IUF affiliate and Colombian Coca-Cola bottler sign agreement - union rights clauses maintained in full
Posted to the IUF website on 16-Apr-2004 – www.iuf.org

Note 1:
Some UCD students (and others) had denounced this union as a “yellow” union (search for “Coke Workers” or http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63390).

Note 2:
The International Union of Foodworkers is represented in Ireland by SIPTU and the ATGWU

IUF affiliate SICO and Coca-Cola Coke franchise bottler Bebidas y Alimentos de Urabá reached an agreement late in the night of April 15 after weeks of lengthy negotiations and just as a strike was about to begin.

Details of the background can be found here.
http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/dbman/db.cgi?db=default&uid=default&ID=1426&view_records=1&ww=1&en=1

Negotiations had been stalled around trade union rights issues after the company had sought the removal of protective clauses in the agreement. Such changes would have significantly restricted union rights at the plant.

The final agreement reached saw the company withdraw all its demands that these protective clauses be withdrawn. In addition the agreement included the reinstatement of one of two union representatives who had been dismissed two years earlier (the second for whom additional compensation was negotiated had found alternative employment and preferred not to return to work at the plant). In economic terms improvements included a wage increase of 12% and additional financial benefits.

On behalf of the Carepa workers and their IUF-affiliated union SICO the IUF thanks all affiliates, including IUF affiliates within Colombia, and others who responded to our call to support the Carepa Coca-Cola bottler workers and their union at the plant. Messages and protests to Coca-Cola and to the local bottler franchise from IUF affiliates throughout Latin America and beyond calling on the company to reach a fair and just settlement played an important role in changing management's initially hostile and anti-union position throughout these negotiations.

The IUF Latin American region coordinated much of the support to the Carepa workers' union SICO and the IUF internationally forcefully raised the issue during direct discussions with The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, stressing the need to persuade the local franchise management to fundamentally change its approach.

Ultimately of course credit for this significant achievement must go to the union members in the Carepa bottling plant and their union's leadership. Their courage and determination to protect their rights in extremely difficult circumstances became increasingly clear both to the company and to IUF members inside and outside Colombia. This determination so evident through weeks of serious and focussed negotiation supported by a credible threat of local and international action and support has now brought them a settlement they can be proud of.