Coca-Cola workers at Northmead factory walk off the job for 24 hours for better pay and work conditions

Coca-Cola workers say supermarket shelves will be left bare and pubs will run dry across the country after factory staff walked off the job for 24 hours fighting for better pay and conditions.

A shortage of Coca-Cola and Kirks soft drinks on supermarket shelves loom, according to factory workers who have walked off the job for 24 hours to fight for better pay and conditions, as the union warns pubs and clubs will start to run dry.

About 150 employees from the Coca-Cola Northmead factory in western Sydney downed tools at midnight on Thursday and will strike until midnight Friday.

The Electrical Trade Union (ETU) said the 24-hour “stop work” is an escalation in protected industrial action, which has been ongoing for more than 100 days.

ETU NSW secretary Allen Hicks said the action would have a “serious impact” on the Coca-Cola and Kirks supply chain, with factory stock estimated to halve.

“There’s no excuse at all for a company the size of Coca-Cola to be treating its local workforce so poorly,” Mr Hicks said.

Coca-Colas walk off the job at the Northmead factory on Friday morning. Picture: ETU

These workers are responsible for making the millions of drinks Coca-Cola sells every year, yet the company is treating them with complete contempt.

“We’re being told pubs are starting to pull their contracts with Coke. It’s only going to get worse unless the company starts showing a commonsense approach to its negotiations with workers.”

The action comes after Coke employees recently voted against the proposed enterprise agreement, with workers claiming it would create a two-tiered workforce where new employees are employed on lower pay.

Mr Hicks claimed Coca-Cola was attempting to drive down wages and working conditions at its Sydney factory, and workers could be made “significantly more” if they moved to the Pepsi factory.

“Despite doing the same work, workers in Coca-Cola’s Northmead factory are paid significantly lower than those working for Pepsi.

“In the age-old Pepsi vs. Coke debate, when it comes to treating its employees with respect, Pepsi is winning hands down.”

The ETU estimated stock at the factory has already halved due to the industrial action.

Workers warn the action will affect Coke and Kirks supply across the country.

A Coca-Cola Europacific Partners spokeswoman said the company have “contingency plans in place” to ensure manufacturing continues during the strike.

“Some of our workers at Northmead have made the decision to take action today as part of ongoing Enterprise Agreement negotiations. We respect their right to participate,” the spokeswoman said.

“We greatly value our employees at Northmead. They have an average tenure close to 15 years and it’s because they’re well looked after.

“We remain confident that the wage rates and employment conditions we have proposed are competitive to the market.”

Originally published as Coca-Cola workers at Northmead factory walk off the job for 24 hours for better pay and work conditions