The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Manufacturing (10 - 11) Manufacture of food and beverage 11.0 - Manufacture of beverages 11.07 - Manufacture of soft drinks and bottled waters
480 - 510 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
4 October 2016
Employment effect (start)
4 October 2016
Foreseen end date
1 June 2018
Description
US-based beverage company Coca Cola announced plans to cut 480 to 510 jobs in Germany. The company will restructure its logistic sites, its finance business centre, workshops and beverage production sites.
A total of 140 jobs are affected at the company's logistic centres at Dresden, Hof, Traunreut and Nörten-Harenberg with job cuts taking effect between March and June 2017. The management explained this move with the fact that more supermarket chains use new business partners or their own logistics to stock up on supplies.
Coca Cola wants to relocate their finance business centre, which is currently based in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen, to Sofia (Bulgaria) by spring 2018. The regional mineral water brands Urbacher and Schurwald generatted losses during the last years and their production terminated on 1 July 2016. These measures go along with 40 job cuts at the site in Urbach.
The workshops for maintenance and repair of cooler, dispensers and beverage taps will remain in Hamburg, Hamm and Mainz. The sites at Perwenitz, Cologne, Urbach and Landshut will be closed between Mai and June 2017. A total of 70 job cuts will take place at these sites.
Coca Cola stated that they seek transparent and socially responsible restructuring with the aim to avoid direct dismissals. The management will try to offer affected employees vacancies at other sites within the company. Negotiations with employee representatives on the job cuts will start soon. This will be the second restructuring within 2016. In March 2016 the company had already announced to cut 550 jobs (Coca Cola, 2016). Coca Cola currently employs around 9,000 people in Germany.
Sources
4 October 2016: Coca Cola Press Release
7 October 2016: Berliner Morgenpost
Citation
Eurofound (2016), Coca Cola, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 88807, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/88807.