The Secretary of Political and Union Affairs of the Argentinean Federation of Carbonated Beverages and Related Industry Workers (FATAGA) met with Sirel to provide details of the aspects of this conflict which involve his organization

-How is FATAGA involved in this conflict with InBev?

-This conflict began last Thursday, July 5, when our Federation, along with the Truckers’ Union, decided to paralyze the Quilmes-Pepsi Cola bottling plants, to protest management’s failure to pay our full June salaries, the thirteenth month half bonus, and the incentives due to workers of the distributors employed by it. This company is owned by the transnational corporation InBev and is now arguing that the conflict must be brought against the distributors themselves, who are the ones that haven’t paid. We say, however, that InBev is also responsible, as it handles in detail everything the distributors do. InBev is a member of the Business Chamber that signed the agreement with FATAGA, and, therefore, that is the agreement that must also govern its distributors, so from our point of view it has full responsibility in this conflict. InBev cannot sign something as a member of the Chamber and then not apply it as a company. They refuse to negotiate with the distributors so that we’ll be forced to face the distributors directly, with the aim of wearing us down. But we’re not going to fall for it.

-How was this morning’s mobilization in front of the Brazilian embassy?

-It was a coordinated action with the Truckers’ Union, and we were repressed by the police. Some fellow workers were arrested, but thanks to the lawyers, they’ve already been freed.

-What’s the scope of the mobilization?

-Right now, we’ve completely paralyzed Pepsi Cola and InBev beer production nationwide, to which are added the distribution centers and the distributors themselves. Which means that the country has been left virtually without these products; not a single bottle is moving in Argentina.

-How long can this situation last?

-It will last until the company deigns to meet with the workers and acknowledge its commitments, and calls off the restructure it’s trying to impose. We will also continue coordinating with the Truckers’ Union, as we’ve been doing to date, repeating last April’s solidarity actions.

Carlos Amorín © Rel-UITA July 11, 2007