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German Coca-Cola Workers' Union Wins Major Gains in New Agreement

Posted to the IUF website 01-Jun-2006

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The IUF-affiliated NGG in Germany has secured significant job security guarantees for some 3000 Coca-Cola workers in addition to wage increases, improved old-age provisions and progress on working time. With a package of five agreements the NGG successfully brought to an end an industrial conflict with CCE AG on May 25, 2006.

"After very difficult, protracted negotiations accompanied by countrywide warning strikes, we managed to accompany the restructuring of CCE AG's business with wage and job security agreements. These agreements reflect the unions determination and our strength in this situation", commented chief negotiator and vice-chairman of the NGG, Gunold Fischer.

Key areas in the agreements ratified by the NGG's Coca-Cola membership and signed on May 25th include:

NGG members and only NGG members are now protected against operational dismissals until the end of 2009 by an agreement on employment guarantees. The union will now use this to engage in a major recruitment effort amongst non-union workers in the company.

An agreement on partial retirement gives employees after age 55 the possibility to take early retirement from the company with full pension rights.

Employees in the Eastern part of Germany gained an additional wage increase of 2% retroactively from October 2005. From 2007 onwards wages will increase by the inflation rate as determined by the Federal Statistics office.

Finally, implementation of the general beverage sector national wage agreements (negotiated with the employers organization representing beverage employers), containing among other provisions agreement on a 37,5 hour workweek, vacation and Christmas payments, has been extended for workers in CCE AG to December 2009 without any pre-conditions.

CCE AG currently employs 9.000 workers in Germany.