Strike ends at Coca-Cola's Bidadi unit

Management of Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd signs MoU with the workers union for a four-year wage accord

The 11-day strike by workers at Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCBPL), the largest bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company, ended on Tuesday, with the workers and management reaching a settlement. About 291 workers who were on strike, returned to work from the first shift on Tuesday at the company’s bottling plant at Bidadi, 30-km from here.

The workmen had launched an indefinite strike on March 14 to press their charter of demands that included a revision of salaries for a four-year period. Both, the workers’ union and the management of HCCBPL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The final settlement would be signed very soon, the Coca- Cola Employees Union sources said.

According to the settlement reached between the two parties, the management has agreed to increase the salaries of workers for a period of four years, starting from July 2013, said Meenakshi Sundaram, President of the Coca Cola Employees Union.

When contacted, Hindustan Coca- Cola Beverages officials refused to comment on the development.

With this, the workers would get a salary rise of Rs 4,843 a month, with effect from July 2013. From April 1, 2014, they would get a hike of Rs 6,468 a month. In the fourth year, the hike would be Rs 10,770 a month.

The average monthly salary of a newly joined worker would go up by 71 per cent to Rs 12,000 a month as against Rs 7,000 a month currently. Similarly, the salary of a worker with 10 years of experience would increase by 36 per cent — from Rs 22,000 a month at present to Rs 30,000 a month.

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages had signed a Memorandum of Settlement in October 2010, which had expired on June 30, 2013. Several rounds of negotiations had taken place on the union’s demands and the management proposals thereon. Since both, the management and the union were unable to arrive at an amicable understanding, the matter had been referred to the deputy labour commissioner for conciliation.

HCCBPL is the largest bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company in India. It is a part of The Coca-Cola Company’s Bottling Investments Group and responsible for the manufacture, package, sale and distribution of beverages under the trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

The company operates 24 bottling plants in various states across the country. It holds about 65 per cent share of the bottling operations for Coca-Cola in India and serves over a million outlets.