Coca-Cola to close four bottling plants in Spain

MADRID, SPAIN: Coca-Cola is likely to close four of its 11 bottling plants in Spain in a move that would affect 1,250 jobs, the company and the UGT union said.

Coca Cola says it will probably close four bottling plants in Spain. Image: Coca Cola Enterprises

The company's Spanish subsidiary, Coca-Cola Iberian Partners, plans to close its plants in the north-western Asturias region, the Balearic Islands, near Madrid and in south-eastern Alicante, the union said in a statement.

UGT said it was seeking to negotiate with Coca-Cola to head off the closures and would launch strikes and demonstrations to emphasise its position.

The company, in a statement published in Spanish media, said it would try to place 500 of the affected workers in other positions and offer the rest early retirement or attractive termination packages.

"The restructuring aims to gain efficiency and competitiveness, and to avoid duplication that could compromise the future viability of the company," it said.

Coca-Cola Iberian Partners, which currently has 4,000 employees was founded last year by merging the seven bottling companies in Spain that were owned by the US company.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge