Coke Korea Unions secure agreement on employment security, CBA succession & trade union recognition as condition of sale

Posted to the IUF website 27-Jun-2007

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After nearly six months of tough negotiations, mediation, and planned strike action, the three IUF-affiliated unions in the Coca-Cola Korea Bottling Company (CCKBC) succeeded in securing an historic agreement with both CCKBC and CCA that guarantees employment security, trade union recognition and continuity of the terms and conditions of the current collective bargaining agreement.

The "Agreement on Sale of Coca-Cola Korea Bottling Company, Ltd." signed on June 19 is a major achievement for the CCKBC North/Southeast/ Southwest Labor Unions and sets an important example for food unions confronted with ownership change.

In April the three unions threatened strike action, forcing CCLBC and CCA into negotiations. On the eve of another strike vote on 8 June, a provisional agreement was finally reached. Following union meetings on 11-12 June, union members voted in support of the agreement on 13 June.

On behalf of the three unions, Park Chang-nam, President of the Coca-Cola Korea Bottling North Labor Union, said on June 26 : �We believe that we could achieve a meaningful agreement on the sale of CCKBC and the 2007 CBA thanks to the will of our union members to be united, as well as IUF's dedicated support. We are deeply grateful to the IUF.� Park added, �Now our three unions will fight to defend the terms of the agreement on the sale of CCKBC.�