Earlier this month, workers at Pepsi plants in Changchun, Harbin, Xian, Langzhou, Chonqing and Xinjiang went on strike to protest against layoffs and pay and benefit cuts. This is not the first time that Pepsi workers in China have taken coordinated protest action. Pepsi workers previously held protest actions in several cities in late 2011, against a deal between PepsiCo and Tingyi Holding Corporation which would see Pepsi bottling operations in China transfer to the latter. In giving their reasons for going on strike this month Pepsi workers in Chonqing said that, since the transfer to Tingyi, workers have already taken a pay cut. In addition, although Tingyi is reported to have made a profit after the acquisition, the company is still planning mass layoffs, in which despite around 50% of the workers having worked at the plant for 10 or 20 years their compensation payment will only be calculated from the date of the takeover by Tingyi.
