Trade union officials of Guatemala’s Union of Workers of Embotelladora Central SA (STECSA) and Honduras’ Union of Beverage and Related Industry Workers (STIBYS) met in Guatemala to exchange information, strengthen ties and step up mutual support between the two labor organizations, in the context of their collective bargaining processes with Coca-Cola.

Strengthening joint actions between the two organizations and stimulating the sharing of information and experiences were the leading goals set for the activity recently organized by STECSA and STIBYS in Guatemala.

“We explained the presales and dynamic routing systems to our fellow unionists from STECSA, as these systems have already been implemented in Honduras by Cervecería Hondureña (SABMiller/Coca-Cola), in 1993, and by Embotelladora La Reyna (CABCorp/PepsiCo), 1997,” STIBYS vice president Porfirio Ponce told Sirel.

“In the collective bargaining process with Embotelladora Central SA (Coca-Cola FEMSA), the company intends to introduce these systems, but in a way that would seriously affect wages and job stability,” Ponce continued.

“These exchanges between trade unions are a good way of developing joint tactics and strategies to take a better stand against management in our negotiations. We’re going to be on the alert to see what happens, giving our fellow unionists at STECSA all the support they need,” the vice president of STIBYS said.

According to Francisco Barillas, STECSA general secretary, the activity held in Guatemala is very significant in light of a very specific context in which both labor organizations are negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with the same transnational corporation.

“For us it was key to learn about STIBYS’ experience in Honduras with the implementation of these systems, which Coca-Cola FEMSA is seeking to put in place in Guatemala and which we need to examine carefully.”

“We believe that the company is trying to take away gains that the workers obtained through years and years of struggle and which have been incorporated into our collective bargaining agreements,” Barillas continued.

“Today more than ever we need to intensify our experience- and information-sharing efforts, together with the Latin American Federation of Coca-Cola Workers (FELATRAC) and the IUF, and to organize joint actions,” the general secretary of STECSA concluded.

STECSA and STIBYS officials will continue these exchange efforts over the coming weeks.