Dairy Workers

Workers from Germany's Bavarian dairy industry, organized by IUF affiliated NGG are staging warning strikes at many dairy companies against the company`s refusal to offer any wage increase. Workers at Goldsteig in Cham walked off the job on October 2. The warning strikes aim to put pressure on dairy companies ahead of the next CBA negotiation round with the union.

Dairy companies from Europe, Oceania and Argentina were lifting capacity to supply infant formula to China's growing market. There are 82 million children under the age of 5 in China and only 28% of babies under 6 months are breast fed. Concerns with quality of local milk powder has meant a bonanza for dairy TNCs. Smuggling is a concern and some supermarkets in Europe have placed a limit on purchases as Chinese nationals buy large quantities of formula while visiting.

Rabobank has released its list of the top 20 dairy manufacturers based on revenue earned in 2012 and Nestle has extended the lead over its competitors.Nestle's dairy sales revenue was USD30.1bn, an increase of more than $4bn on revenue reported in 2011. Danone, Lactalis, Fonterra, Friesland Campina, Dairy Farmers of America, Arla Foods, Dean Foods, Saputo and Meiji close out the top ten.

Starbucks Coffee Company, the world's leading coffee retailer and roaster of specialty coffees, and Danone, the world's leading producer of fresh dairy products announced a strategic agreement to offer a jointly created and developed selection of new, healthy specialty yogurt products in participating Starbucks stores and in grocery channels on July 24,2013.

This will advance Danone’s ambition to expand yogurt consumption in the U.S., while growing Starbucks health and wellness offerings for its customers under the company’s Evolution Fresh brand.

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Members of dairy unions affiliated to the Dairy Employees Federation of India (DEFOI) met in Bangalore to plan for the National DEFOI meeting in May. The global organizing initiative "A Fair Deal For Dairy Workers' was endorsed and the workers issues were discussed in the context of the demands of all dairy workers around the world for decent jobs.

On April 9 a mass demonstration by 900 dairy workers and their families against union-busting forced GSK Horlicks Nabha to cut short its annual shareholders' meeting.

Faced with questions about excessive royalties, failure to re-invest in the factory and abusive working conditions, management closed the proceedings after just one hour and fled.

A meeting for European members of the Danone Committee for Information and Consultation (CIC) took place on 19 February 2013 with some 40 trade union delegates representing Danone workers from 13 European countries. The meeting was called in connection with the company's announcement of a proposed cost-cutting plan affecting employment in Europe.

The Dairy Division Leadership Group held a conference call on 12 February to discuss the branding and publicity for a global organising initiative 'A Fair Deal For Dairy Workers. Universal rights for dairy workers, as they are for all workers, include the right to join a union and bargain collectively, the right to permanent and decent work, the right to a fair wage and good conditions at work, the right to a safe and healthy workplace and the right to be free of discrimination in the workplace.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations could lead to the removal of barriers that have until now prevented US dairy manufacturers making "headway" in the European Union (EU), US dairy sector representatives have claimed.

US President Barack Obama, European Commission (EC) President José Manuel Barroso, and European Council President Herman Von Rompuy revealed in a joint statement that the US and EU had agreed to launch negotiations to establish a trade and investment deal.