Striking Coca-Cola staff want boycott of products

Striking Coca-Cola workers have taken their call for a boycott of the company’s products to Cork city centre.

Up to 20 workers protested outside Dunnes Stores on Patrick Street yesterday and today called on members of the public to boycott the Coca-Cola products and urged fellow trade unionists to stop handling the company’s products.

Up to 30 workers based at the company’s Carrigrohane Road depot are in a two-month dispute with their employer Coca-Cola HBC Ltd over the outsourcing of their jobs.

They said they will also be picketing other supermarkets in the city centre in the coming days to highlight their cause. They are demanding the company abide by a recommendation of the Labour Court. However, Coca-Cola HBC said they have already offered workers a generous redundancy package, which entails a payment of seven weeks per year of service.

“We are picketing here to seek solidarity from other trade unionist to stop handling Coca-Cola products and for customers to boycott them,” said Noel Hartnett, one of the workers said.

The staff have already received the backing of Cork City Council members in their call for a boycott.

However, Coca-Cola HBC said any boycott only served to potentially hurt the remaining employees and the large number of other businesses that indirectly work with the company.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.