Coca Cola man in Croatia go on stoppage for better wages

About 250 workers at a Coca Cola factory went on strike Thursday, effectively halting local production and distribution. The strike followed failed negotiations with managers for Coca Cola Beverages Hrvatska ( Croatia ), said Marijan Sokacic, head of the company's labor union. The workers are pushing for better wages and severance for those laid off from their jobs.

Photo: Coca Cola man in Croatia go on stoppage for better wages

The striking employees about a third of those at the Croatian branch of the Coca Cola Co. subsidiary halted production and blocked entrance to warehouses, insisting that their strike would continue until their demands are met.

Coca Cola Beverages spokeswoman Majda Tafra Vlahovic said the company would ask authorities to ban the strike since it started before being announced, as required by the law, the state-run news agency HINA reported.

She also complained that the strikers prevent other workers to do their jobs.

Sokacic said the workers were demanding a 10-percent raise of their wages now at about 3,000 kuna (US$490) a month. They also insist that the 123 workers, mainly drivers, who are to be ousted from their jobs get more severance packages than promised by the company. Tafra Vlahovic said the company's severance offer was "fair." The company insisted it would make sure that its products are available despite the strike, reports the AP.

D.M.