Coca-Cola strike enters second week

Talks between Coca Cola and Fawu have deadlocked. (SABC)

Tags:

• Southern Africa
• Philip Nieman
• Dominique Swartz
• Coca Cola
• Fawu
• Strike

The strike at Coca-Cola Fortune factories countrywide has entered its second week with no indication of a possible breakthrough. Talks between the company and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) deadlocked last Friday.

 Last week, Fawu workers downed tools over a number of work-related issues including the closing of the wage gap between different plants. According to the union nearly 2000 workers are taking part in the strike.

Fawu is now looking at intensifying the strike by staging a march in Bloemfontein on the 24th of November and in Port Elizabeth on the 29th of November

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Fortune Managing Director, Philip Nieman says the strike at its five plants countrywide is affecting production but that products are still going out to customers. 

Nieman adds that production is continuing and that they are receiving some support from other bottling companies in the Coke system.

Fawu's media officer, Dominique Swartz says: "Fawu is now looking at intensifying the strike by staging a march in Bloemfontein on the 24th of November and in Port Elizabeth on the 29th of November.

"We are also now as part of intensifying the strike given seven-day notice to Coca-Cola Cans and Coca-Cola Shanduka to engage in a solidarity one day strike on Monday 29th of November that will see an additional four-thousand  workers go on strike on that particular day," added Swartz.