Workers at bottling plants in West Bengal have been fighting the company’s union busting attempts for over two years. The dispute started in early 2013 when over 160 workers were fired for forming their own union. The struggle continued into 2014 as some of the dismissed workers gained the support of international unions. There is a new campaign by global labour unions to pressure PepsiCo to respect workers’ rights, reinstate the dismissed workers and recognise their union. Against global companies such as PepsiCo, co-ordinated industrial actions across the company will provide the most effective way for workers to fight against the Race to the Bottom.
Workers at bottling plants in West Bengal have been fighting the company’s union busting attempts for over two years. The dispute started in early 2013 when over 160 workers were fired for forming their own union. The struggle continued into 2014 as some of the dismissed workers gained the support of international unions. There is a new campaign by global labour unions to pressure PepsiCo to respect workers’ rights, reinstate the dismissed workers and recognise their union. Against global companies such as PepsiCo, co-ordinated industrial actions across the company will provide the most effective way for workers to fight against the Race to the Bottom.