Union leaders of Embotelladora Central Ltd. Workers Union (according to its abbreviation in Spanish,  STECSA) and those of the Union of Beverage Industry and allied workers’ (according to its abbreviation in Spanish, STIBYS) met again, this time in Honduras, to continue with the exchange of information and consolidate a common strategy to work together.

The exchange started last month between STECSA and STIBYS, organizations affiliated to UITA and to the Latin American Federation of Coca Cola Workers (according to its abbreviation in Spanish, FELATRAC) had a second phase in the frame of the 23^rd Ordinary Congress of STIBYS, recently held in Tegucigalpa.

“We are giving continuity to a process that we started in Guatemala, focusing on the study of how Honduras develops the Pre sale services and the Dynamic delivery in  Cervecería Hondureña (SABMiller│Coca Cola) and Embotelladora La Reyna (CABCorp│PepsiCo)”, explained to Sirel, Rubén Vega, secretary of Conflicts of the Executive Committee of STECSA.

According to Vega, “in Guatemala it is expected to boost that same system, reason for    which we are interested in knowing from first hand which is the evaluation done by the comrades of STIBYS on these procedures.

We have had the opportunity to revise around four routes, the loads they carry, the delivery system, the problems with the clients and the long workdays.

We have also deepened the information exchange with the comrades of STIBYS, and we believe that it is going to be of great help to have concrete elements to draw our conclusions, during the next sessions of collective bargaining with Coca Cola FEMSA”,  stated the STECSA’s union leader.

Finally, Vega made it clear which the importance of these exchanges is where “there are elements that make us stronger and give us more tools and more solidness when the time comes to negotiate with the companies”, he concluded.

Health risk

According to a study on Occupational Health done by the STIBYS, each route visits between 50 and 80 clients a day –number that varies according to the state of the sales-, with a working day that goes to 10 to 14 hours long.

The trucks have 14 paletts, double wheel-sized and carry a load of between 700 and 1000 boxes, with a total weight of between 10 and 11,5 tons, which are unloaded by the warehouse staff –in its great majority outsourced and non-experienced workers-, and unloaded once again by a seller and two assistants.

“We have unloaded trucks for more than 6 years now. They are very tough, exhausting and extremely long working days. At this pace, it is going to be difficult for me to retire in this company”, said Fredy Gómez, member of the bargaining commission of the STIBYS with Cervecería Hondureña (SABMiller│Coca Cola).

Gómez has been a witness of the way in which many workers have ended up suffering from many illnesses related to work, for instance LBP (Lower Back Pain) or shoulder and knee injuries.

“They have started to miss work because they could not bear the work load any more. The doctors state that they have to be relocated but the company refuses to do it, and they keep on bearing the work load because they fear they may be dismissed”, Gómez concluded.

At the moment, the negotiation between STIBYS and SABMiller has entered the phase of Mediation, without having achieved an agreement on the items included in the List of Demands, such as outsourcing, temporary and precarious work.