CCE staff to strike over restructure

Unite members across seven Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) sites will protest today as the company's restructuring threatens 120 UK jobs.

Fellow trade union members in Europe will also join the demonstrations as they believe the European-wide restructuring is being pushed through without proper consultation.

Up to 120 well-paid UK jobs could be lost, as well as more than 400 in Europe, with only lower-paid jobs available to replace them.

Workers believe that the company is using the recession to force job and pay cuts in order to boost profits.

"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," said Unite national officer for food and drink Jennie Formby.

"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."

Changes​

A CCE spokesperson 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."

CCE sites in Edmonton, Sidcup, East Kilbride, Bristol, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Wakefield will be involved in demonstrations.