Participants of the protest rally outlined their demands to the factory’s management in Coca-Cola’s recognizable style.
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Coca-Cola Pours Out onto Street
// The factory’s trade union held a protest rally
Workers of Coca-Cola corporation’s factory in St. Petersburg held a protest rally in front of its building on Friday, demanding a 30-percent wage raise. Coca-Cola said that wages at the factory are competitive, adding that the rally was caused by the trade union leaders’ wish to fulfill “personal and political ambitions”. The rally was joined by the workers of Heineken brewery, where an ‘Italian strike’ is going on for the second week already.
Several tens of Coca-Cola factory workers in St. Petersburg demanded on Friday to raise the wages by 30 percent. The decision to hold a protest rally was made after the workers’ last meeting with the management on April 12, where the latter accused dissatisfied workers of “unsanctioned activity” and refused to fulfill their demands.
Coca-Cola workers were joined by several employees of St. Petersburg meat factory Samson, members of APK Rossii trade union organization, of the International Union of Food Industry Workers, and by several workers of Heineken brewery in St. Petersburg. Heineken is having the so-called ‘Italian strike’ since April 13 (workers do not leave their workplace, but their labor productiveness may fall by half).
Participants of the protest rally threatened to begin a strike unless Coca-Cola takes into account their demands. The company’s management said that wages at the factory in St. Petersburg were raised by 18 percent in 2006, and is raised every May. The company’s office in Moscow assured it will not transfer production from St. Petersburg to other Coca-Cola factories due to the rally.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 21, 2007
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