Unite slams Coca-Cola over pay & pensions talks

The UK’s biggest trade union has said it will ballot its 2,000 members working for Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) about possible strike action, after the beverages firm kept its workforce out of ongoing discussions over pay and pensions.

According to Unite, the response came after the company announced "damaging changes" to its pension scheme, which could see workers needing to work until age 65 rather than 60, unless they agree to accept losing up to one-quarter of their savings pot.

Jennie Formby, the body’s national officer for food, drink and the tobacco sector, accused CCE of attacking its members’ wages while rewarding senior managment at the time.

She referred to the company’s chief executive John Brock, who reportedly has a pension worth $3.5 million (£2.43 million), having worked with Coca-Cola for just over 11 years.

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CCE distributed 260 million cases of its soft drink from facilities across the UK and broke through the £1 billion sales barrier earlier this year.

By Colette Paxton