© Domingos Oliveira / RTL
Coca-Cola employees gathered outside the manufacturer's Howald headquarters on Thursday to protest the management's "flagrant lack of respect" over their demands for an €85 pay increase.
Pauline Meiresonne, the Deputy General Secretary of OGBL, addressed the crowd, stating, "I blame Coca-Cola Luxembourg. We are not just pointing fingers at a company; we are highlighting an attitude, a mentality that shows a blatant disregard for its own workforce." Her remarks were punctuated by the whistles of protesting employees and representatives from various companies, including Cactus, Auchan, Match, Luxair, and others.
The protest, organised by the trade union, took place outside the Howald headquarters of the soft drink giant, in response to what they perceive as unfavourable conditions during a year of collective bargaining negotiations. Meiresonne commented, "The conditions under which collective bargaining has been taking place over the past year are an insult to social dialogue, which is one of the pillars of our system."
She went on to criticise the company further, saying, "The boss never stops attacking wage indexation. We've had enough of his denigration of our system. While he is quick to benefit from Luxembourg's tax advantages, he is conspicuously absent when it comes to sustaining and improving employees' purchasing power."
The lack of progress in negotiations with the management prompted OGBL to refer the matter to the National Conciliation Office (ONC) in July. Negotiations for improved pay conditions are still ongoing at the ONC, but the OGBL asserts that the talks have reached an impasse.
In response to the situation, the Coca-Cola Belgium-Luxembourg communications department told our colleagues from RTL Infos, "At this stage, no agreement has been reached between management and the trade unions as part of these negotiations. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners is, of course, committed to continuing these discussions in a constructive manner." In passing, the communications department noted that "we can only observe that very few of our employees were present."
Pierre Van Kakerken, the chairman of the staff delegation, expressed his frustration, saying, "This time, management has refused to talk to us. We've got nothing but crumbs! This failure to understand the importance of social dialogue means that employees are discredited." He added that, in 27 years, he has "never seen anything like this."
Coca-Cola Luxembourg employs 70 individuals responsible for preparing and delivering products to major supermarkets and restocking their shelves.
Where has the "fair share of the cake" gone?
The brewing dissatisfaction among Coca-Cola employees in Luxembourg is rooted in their incomprehension over the company's stance on sharing the profits. Despite reporting "significant" profits (+12.5% in sales and +13.5% in net profits) in Luxembourg and Belgium, management is refusing to provide what the employees consider "a fair share of the cake." According to the OGBL, Coca-Cola's net sales in Luxembourg stand at €68 million and continue to rise. "Employees bring in an average of €15,000 a month, which will go straight into the boss's pockets in 2022. We're asking for an average increase of €85 a month, so we don't understand management's position," Meiresonne summarised to resounding applause.
Negotiations on a new agreement began with a proposal for a €200 bonus for the current year. The OGBL, which advocates for recurrent pay raises, has made it clear that they are resolutely committed to their stance.
The company's management and staff representatives are scheduled to reconvene at the negotiating table on Friday morning.
