The Union SITINCA and the management of Coca Cola in Retalhuleu signed their Collective Agreement. Sirel interviewed Augusto Salazar, general secretary of the Union and member of the negotiating committee.

-How did the negotiation develop?

-The previous collective agreement between SITINCA and Coca Cola expired on 31 August, 2009 and since September, Union and management have been in the direct bargaining process. 

This process lasted eight months. Previous negotiations have lasted 18 months, and even 24 months, in this sense we consider this is an improvement. Long negotiations cause rumours.  This is very harmful and damages the workplace environment.

-Were there any changes in relation to previous negotiation processes with management?

-The negotiation environment was the usual.  Since we were dealing with the same persons, they apply the same culture and structure. 

-Were there many difficulties?

-Problems emerged with clauses related to economic issues. During the last months negotiating was difficult, the wage raises offered by management were even lower than those agreed in the previous agreement and the company representatives were reluctant to change their position.

The Union, faced with this intransigent position, prepared the structure to go to court. The imminent conflict ahead led to a new meeting and then, at the negotiating table, in late April, the negotiation ended with the signature of the agreement.

-What achievements would you highlight?

There are two core achievements:  one is the retroactivity which is essential because this is always very controversial in our discussions. Company management has always tried to apply benefits as from the date when the agreement is signed, which has led to loose continuity in the collective agreements. Retroactivity this time was agreed for 2009 and the economic agreement for 2010 and 2011 was also agreed with wage increases and some other benefits.

The other essential element is the levelling. An agreement was reached on the wages of the sales force.  Unionized sales force used to have lower salaries and percentages than workers who did not belong to the union.

Now with this agreement union members and non union members will receive the same salary and will have rotation of routes. Until now, non union members had the best routes. Now the company promised to rotate the sales force. 

Union members were maintained in distribution routes far from their homes, with low sale levels and more uncomfortable. We managed to obtain a commitment of rotation and levelling. 

-The discrimination you are describing leads me to ask about the solidarismo situation in the plant…

-The strength of solidarismo has decreased and this is the result of the IUF support, of international pressure and the Atlanta negotiations.

Solidarismo is not so open and public now, although evidently they are working on their strategies and their discourse and message is that this movement will not stop.