Coca-Cola staff in jobs protest

Workers at Coca-Cola have staged nationwide protests at the firm's restructuring plans, which they claimed risked job losses and pay cuts.

Members of Unite protested at the plant at East Kilbride, as well as factories in Bristol, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Wakefield and Edmonton in London, where strikes have been held over threatened job cuts.

Unite's national officer Jennie Formby said: "We are extremely concerned that a recession-resistant company seems bent on using the economic difficulties to force through attacks on jobs and pay."

A spokesman for Coca-Cola said: "Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) is proposing to make changes at our manufacturing and distribution sites in Great Britain; these changes target a single, consistent way of working across all our plants in GB, Belgium, The Netherlands and France, so that we can remain competitive and grow our business for the future.

"No decisions have yet been made, and we are now in consultation with employee representatives. If implemented the changes would impact seven sites in GB. The proposed changes could result in up to an estimated 120 roles being at risk of redundancy in GB, however 130 new roles and other development opportunities would also be created.

"We are committed to meaningful consultation throughout this process and will seek to manage and mitigate the impact on our people wherever possible."