Russian Nestl� workers still being denied the right to negotiate wages!

Posted to the IUF website 06-Jun-2008

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June 11: Settlement reached!

6 months into the conflict at the KitKat candy bar plant in the Russian city of Perm, the company still refuses to recognise the right to negotiate wages!

The biggest food company in the world is taking the tiniest possible steps toward settling a conflict which began 6 months ago when the Nestl� Perm Workers Union first sought to negotiate a wage increase through the collective bargaining process. The company has finally come forward with a proposal for a modest wage increase which, however, remains below the rate of inflation over the past 6 months. This nevertheless represents some progress - due to the union's determined struggle and the support of the international solidarity campaign.

However, Nestl� remains unwilling to fully respect the trade union's information and communication rights, by demanding that the union chairperson accept restrictions on these rights before restoring access to electronic resources. Even more importantly, management is trying to insert language into the settlement under negotiation that would reduce industrial relations to a process of "consultations" rather than negotiations leading to mutually agreed wages and wage scales.

For the future of Nestl� workers in Perm and elsewhere, we need to ensure that Nestl� fully recognises the union's unqualified right to negotiate wages.

The next negotiation is scheduled for June 11.
Click here to send a message to Nestl� now!