The IUF affiliate Union of Beer, Beverage, Food, Malt and Similar Industry Workers (USTIAM) has condemned Bavaria’s Cervecería del Valle brewery, a subsidiary of AB InBev in Colombia, for breaching the collective agreement, unfairly dismissing workers and outsourcing jobs without consultation with the union. To date the company has:
- Put pressure on workers not to join the union
- Put pressure on workers to sign voluntary retirement agreements
- Failed to consult the union on plans to close a plant that has been manufacturing beer labels for years
Additionally, a 2020 proposal to Colombia authorities from Bavaria (AB InBev), Coca-Cola Colombia and Coca-Cola FEMSA to create a business alliance to integrate sales, distribution and logistics is causing great concern among workers around possible restructuring and job losses
National President of USTIAM Jhon Arley Obregón said, “In the midst of a pandemic, the company has given priority to strengthening the business but not to protecting its workers and has violated the collective agreement.”
Carlos Ortiz, President of the IUF affiliate National Union of Workers of the Beverage, Food, Agri-food System, Related and Similar Industry in Colombia (Sinaltrainbec) added, “Normal practice for these transnationals when they make alliances is to heavily reduce the workforce. We are working with the IUF Latin America region to gather information about other similar experiences in the region so we can better prepare for what may be coming.”
