COCA-COLA workers in Spain are celebrating the end of five years of labour conflict now that their unions have reached an agreement with their firm.
They have been facing uncertainty since the global drinks giant announced plans to shut four of its plants in Spain to 'strengthen the brand' back in early 2014, which would have led to 821 employees being made redundant.
Whilst all the factories put up a fight, every one of them besides the plant in Fuenlabrada (Greater Madrid region) ended up caving in.
The Supreme Court in Spain finally declared the redundancies illegal and ordered Coca-Cola to give everyone their jobs back on the same terms as before, or to compensate them if they had already found alternative work and did not wish to return.
After months of ongoing industrial conflict, Coca-Cola opted to open a logistics centre in Fuenlabrada, but staff complained they had no work to do and were rattling around scratching for ways to fill their day.
Once again, they applied to the court, but this time, judges ruled in favour of the company.
Employees announced plans to appeal to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg, but a deal struck between their union and Coca-Cola last night (Thursday) has led to their deciding to call off the legal action.
The deal involves a two-year plan to set up a work centre within a 70-kilometre radius of Madrid city, for staff aged under 58, with each employee being given compensation based upon their age.
Those aged 58 and over will be retired early.
The Fuenlabrada logistics centre will be closed, and Coca-Cola has guaranteed its staff will remain in employment for the next two years at least and, once this is over, will not be left 'high and dry' or facing 'forced redundancy'.
Coca-Cola workers' plight attracted widespread media attention and they were backed by numerous left-wing politicians, including Pablo Iglesias, leader of Spain's third-largest party Podemos.
They even made it to the front cover of celebrity gossip magazine Interviú.
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