Coca-Cola staff to protest over cuts
Staff at seven Coca Cola Enterprise (CCE) sites are due to demonstrate tomorrow over the company's restructuring plans.
CCE is planning a number of changes throughout Europe which could result in 120 UK jobs being put at risk.
Members of trade union Unite say the plans are being pushed through without a proper consultation with staff.
Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for food and drink, said: "We are extremely concerned that a recession-resistant company seems bent on using the economic difficulties to force through attacks on jobs and pay.
"While the boardroom rewards shareholders, it is callously cutting the jobs of the workers who help make Coke its massive profits.
"Unite is demanding that Coke thinks again.
"As a very minimum there must be a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, permanent pay protection for all displaced workers and Coke must start to engage fully in meaningful consultation about making sure our members don't pay the price for changes that will further benefit this phenomenally profitable company."
Unite members at CCE sites in Edmonton, Sidcup, East Kilbride, Bristol, Northampton, Milton Keyes and Wakefield will protest against the restructuring in a series of demonstrations throughout the day.
The demonstration follows a series of strikes at the Edmonton bottling plant over a below inflation pay rise offer.
A CCE spokeswoman said it was committed to consulting with staff over the plans.
She said: "CCE is proposing to make changes at our manufacturing and distribution sites in Great Britain. These changes target a single, consistent way of working across all our plants in GB, Belgium, the Netherlands and France, so that we can remain competitive and grow our business for the future.
"No decisions have yet been made, and we are now in consultation with employee representatives. If implemented the changes would impact seven sites in GB. The proposed changes could result in up to an estimated 120 roles being at risk of redundancy in GB, however 130 new roles and other development opportunities would also be created.
"We are committed to meaningful consultation throughout this process and will seek to manage and mitigate the impact on our people wherever possible."
