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South Africa: Fawu union fights Coca Cola plans to sack a third of full-time staff

Food workers' union claims the move will line managers' pockets

Food workers’ union Fawu was fighting desperately yesterday to halt plans to sack a third of Coca Cola’s full-time South African workforce.

South African Breweries (SAB), which owns the rights to produce and bottle Coca Cola in the country, wants to “cut costs” through a restructuring programme, the union said, resulting in the loss of 1,400 of the 3,600 permanent jobs.

The changes are intended to boost profits and bonuses to managers, claimed Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola.

Mr Masemola said 14 depots have been closed since October 2009 but the managers have been kept on without any staff, “getting salaries for effectively doing nothing.”

While managers idle, workers have had additional work piled onto them and many are being forced into unsociable hours, said the union leader.

Fawu said it was taking legal advice to block the plans and called for an urgent meeting with SAB and Coca Cola bosses.

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