The process of collective bargaining between the Union of Workers of Embotelladora Central SA (according to its initials in Spanish, STECSA), and Coca-Cola FEMSA, has taken an unexpected turn entering a stagnation phase.

“Last week the company suggested the negotiation of a package of 11 articles of the new Collective Agreement and we have achieved an agreement on four of them. When we were about to sign them, the company withdrew and asked for a period of negotiation halting”, explained to Sirel, Francisco “Paco” Barillas, general secretary of STECSA.

When the negotiation was taken up again on August 9, the STECSA bargaining commission came up with an unexpected situation. “Coca-Cola FEMSA had the intention of conditioning the continuity of the negotiation to the signature of the 11 articles, something which breaks the basis of the negotiation that envisages the signature of the articles one by one.
 

In view of the denial of the Union –Barillas continued- the company was categorical to say that we were going to keep looking at each others’ face, because it was only going to sign the whole package of articles.

It even suggested the indefinite halting in the negotiation, a measure that we totally reject because it would put in serious danger the advance of the negotiation through the direct via ”, the Union leader claimed.

According to Barillas, that lamentable and unexpected attitude of EMBOCEN SA (Coca-Cola FEMSA) would aim at pressing the bargaining commission of STECSA, for it to accept a supposed investment project with which it intends to promote the pre sales services system and dynamic routing.

Before this worrying situation was originated, the parts had already signed 47 out of 85 articles of the Collective Agreement. 

“We are ready to continue negotiating the new agreement, but we do not accept any type of pressure. We are going to get together to discuss and we have already alerted the different organizations at national and international level that support our struggle, for them to pay attention to what may occur. We hope the company will reconsider this decision”, explained Barillas.

For this reason, the union leader remembered that recently, in Guatemala, there was an important activity of exchange and mutual support between STECSA and the Union of Beverage Industry and allied workers’ (according to its initials in Spanish, STIBYS), with the aim of analyzing the pre sales services system and dynamic routing that Cervecería Hondureña (SABMiller│Coca-Cola) has promoted in Honduras.

Moreover, Barillas informed that STECSA has a fluent contact with the Latin American Federation of Coca Cola Workers (according to its abbreviation in Spanish, FELATRAC), with Rel-UITA.

“Our international relations are very good and we have a constant exchange of ideas and information, to keep on building a common front in favour of the workers’ rights.

This is why, in November STECSA will be present at the 14^th Rel-UITA’s conference and in the next meeting of the Executive Committee of FELATRAC, events that are fundamental to us in the framework of our struggle”, he concluded.