A number of staff at a Mondelez International plant in Spain went on strike yesterday (20 January) over a change in schedules.

The company had approached 21 staff at its Viana site with a timetable change in order to guarantee cover for the line producing Oreo cookies for Spain and the international market. It did not comment on speculation that staff breaks being affected was the reason for the strike.

Regarding the proposal, the statement said: “[The change] complies fully with existing labour legislation, as there is an organisational reason justifying the proposal, and has been received favourably by the majority of the employees affected.”

Mondelez said the strike action was “irresponsible”.

“The company respects the right to strike but regrets that the works council has decided to take this extreme and disproportionate action, when collective bargaining and legislation provide for other ways of resolving any differences, without breaking off dialogue or generating any unnecessary tension.”

The statement further suggested the company could not guarantee the “right to work” of striking employees, stating it would “seek to guarantee the right to work of employees who decide not to support this industrial action.”

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Mondelez did not confirm whether the strikes had resulted in temporary closure of the operation. However, it did say it will continue to address business needs “through collective bargaining”.

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