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STIBYS signs a new Collective Agreement with SABMiller
Defense of permanent jobs is essential
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After nearly 14 months
of negotiations, the Union of Beverage Industry and Allied Workers (according to
its abbreviation in Spanish, the STIBYS) and Cervecería Hondureña SA (SABMiller/Coca-Cola)
last Monday, January 16, signed the new collective agreement to be valid for
three years, worth over 100 million lempiras (5.3 million dollars).
In the presence of the
delegates of the XXI STIBYS’ Extraordinary Congress, managers of
Cervecería Hondureña SA (CHSA), the two negotiating committees, the
Minister of Labour, Felicito Ávila and special guests, the UITA
among them, the President of the STIBYS, Carlos H Reyes, took the
floor.
During his speech, in
addition to mentioning achievements in economic and social issues, he stressed
the importance of having managed to defend
permanent employment
against the claims of further job insecurity and outsourcing.
"We are ratifying the
need of the labor-management relations to be handled through collective
bargaining, counteracting the attempt to deepen temporary and outsourced work".
"The struggle that
we have had to overcome part of this situation has had as a result the recovery
of 87 permanent positions, which ratifies the need for the stability of
employment," said Reyes.
Also, the concept that
all permanent work should be carried out by permanent workers was reconfirmed.
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The
struggle that we have had to overcome part of this situation has had
as a result the recovery of 87 permanent positions, which ratifies
the need for the stability of employment |
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"The interim worker
will be used only to replace employees who are absent in accordance with the
law, while the temporary and outsourced workers will be hired only for specific
jobs. Undoubtedly, we have stricken a very strong blow to outsourcing", said
Julio Flores, Secretary of Press and Propaganda of the STIBYS and
member of the Negotiating Committee.
He also recognized the
efforts of the British-South African company to reach a satisfactory agreement
to both parties, asking them at the same time to respect and apply what has just
been signed.
Before the questions of
Sirel, CHSA Human Resources Director, Carolina Soto, agreed
that the permanent workforce "is vital to give sustainability to the company",
and assured that Cervecería Hondureña (SABMiller/Coca-Cola) is committed
to respect the new Convention.
Main achievements
In addition to
important advances in terms of job security and wage increases, we have managed
to negotiate all points of the List of Demands, which include the imposition of
long working hours and additional functions to Bottling technicians to cancel
posts in Quality Control, as well as the implementation of the Médico-Impresa
System (according to its initials in Spanish, the SME) and a number of
breaches from the previous Agreement.
"We have managed to
make the company discuss and change the attitude about these points. Finally we
have made important progress coming to solve many of the problems we have
experienced in recent years," said Flores.
According to him, the
signature of this Agreement will be very important to boost the difficult
collective bargaining with Embotelladora La Reyna SA(CABCorp/PepsiCo) and
Brandy Factory El Buen Gusto, currently in the mediation stage.
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