Killer Cola Referendum Kicked Off In UCD.

by David Fri Oct 10, 2003 17:46

Though it would be interesting to see who is campaigning on behalf of coca cola in UCD?
Good luck with the result.

by RED BHOY Fri Oct 10, 2003 18:11

With a pH of about 3 (acidic), coke isnt worth drinking. Drink water for as long as you can from the taps coz pretty soon it wont be free. Buy Irish refreshments after the water tax comes in.

by Anonymous Fri Oct 10, 2003 18:12

If this referendum is a success it would be great to see it replicated in the rest of colleges around the country.

by boycotter Fri Oct 10, 2003 18:30

An earlier comment mentioned that people should buy irish drinks after water tax comes in. I agree that the government does want to bring in water tax, but I'd disagree with the 'buy irish' comment.

surely Irish companies also exploit their workers? Or is it ok that the capitalist exploiting you has a harp on his passport? Would you recommend that American workers drink Coke? Should they not boycott coke in solidarity with colombian workers?

by John C Fri Oct 10, 2003 19:27

if people don't drink coke, coca-cola's profits will fall (I think we can all agree on that). If profits fall, the next step is for the company to reduce expenditure if profits continue to fall (are we agreed on that?). To reduce profits, coca-cola will most likely reduce their labour costs, making workers unemployed. If they decide on this course of action, then the workers in LDC's will be first to be laid off ('cos its easier for a multi-national to do this).

In my view if this referundum takes off, two alternatives may occur. Firstly, Coke give in to the demands of trade unions associated with the narcotics trade and terrorist organisations. Or, coke sack their colombian staff (and colombia does have a rather large unemployment problem, with vey little social welfare.)

But of course, the good students of UCD have thought this out for themselves.

by The Insider Sat Oct 11, 2003 00:09

"if people don't drink coke, coca-cola's profits will fall (I think we can all agree on that). If profits fall, the next step is for the company to reduce expenditure if profits continue to fall (are we agreed on that?)."

Yes indeed.

"To reduce profits, coca-cola will most likely reduce their labour costs, making workers unemployed. If they decide on this course of action, then the workers in LDC's will be first to be laid off ('cos its easier for a multi-national to do this)."

- this operates on the assumption that the workers will meekly accept their pink slips and willingly embrace unemployment. What happens in your hypothesis when the workers occupy the factory and refuse to allow themselves to be laid off?

by Palmiro Togliatti Sat Oct 11, 2003 00:35

due to falling sales, they have three options:

1. do nothing
2. reduce costs, which as an emergency response to a short-term situation means cutting production, which means accepting reduced profit
3. try to win back the sales by addressing the issues that led to the problem.

Best, most profitable, and easiest course of action? It depends, but I'd say that no. 3 wins most times, if the company's at all smart. Which means that boycotts can work.

Think about it: a boycott is a reason for falling sales which is, more or less, within the producer's control. Other possible reasons for such a development would include, for example, packaging/brand image becoming outdated; product quality declining; unreliable distribution networks. How do you think that any reasonable company would try to address the problem in these cases: by dealing with the root cause or by cutting back production?

Boycotts can work. John C's reasoning is facile.

by IMC Reader Sat Oct 11, 2003 06:27

So, you want the workers to occupy the factory and refuse to be laid off????

You need to lay off whatever drugs you're taking, they've clouded your mind. I've never heard of anything more stupid in my life.

by The Insider Sat Oct 11, 2003 11:08

....it's a tactic that's used all over the world for decades, including Ireland.

Your ignorance of industrial relations disputes is shocking. If the workers occupy the factory, Coke can't shut it down. They're not going to leave all their expensive equipment and just bugger off.

by Seán Sat Oct 11, 2003 12:30

There are alternatives to Coke.
One that caught my in Belfast recently is Mecca Cola, that gives 10% of its net profits to Palestinian children through various projects and charities.
It also gives another 10% of its net profits to NGOs located in the country in which the drink is sold.

I'm not sure if is available in the 26 yet, but it is available north of the border.

The distributor's address if anyone is interested.

TOPMARK Cash and carry,
Unit 18, Linfield Industrial Estate,
Linfield Road, Belfast, BT12 5LA

by angry liberal Sat Oct 11, 2003 14:00

as someone involved in the campaign i would like to mention that the workers in colombia sent the students of UCD an open letter asking us to boycott.So the victims themselves have asked the students of UCD to take this action.Regarding whatever whinging shithead(on indymedia?surely not)decided that UCD students were doing this for the sake of it and didn't care about colombian jobs,i think they would know best what is in their interest.Yours sincerely,utterly disgusted by all you armchair activist know it all fuckers.

by Anthony Sat Oct 11, 2003 14:06

I suspect that John C might be trolling as he made unsubstantiated insinuations about "trade unions associated with the narcotics trade and terrorist organisations". I'd be very surprised if there was any evidence to show that Sinaltrainal have such links.

The important thing about this boycott is that it's not called by well-meaning activists here in Ireland. It's tying in with Sinaltrainal's current court case against Coca Cola under the US Alien Tort Act in Atlanta where Coca Cola have their headquarters. Coca Cola aren't the only multinational using right-wing paramilitary groups to keep their workers in line. The difference with Coke is that the link between the parent company and its subsidiaries is strong enough to be able to make a case in court.

The boycott in the 80s against South African produce was called by the South African workers themselves and it showed that such boycotts can be effective. At the same time, Coke were using similar tactics of assassinating union workers to intimidate their workforce at a bottling plant in Guatemala. After a long struggle which included international labour solidarity and a consumer boycott, this ended when Coke brought in a new franchise operator who agreed to negotiate with the union.

I would like to see more such solidarity across national borders but unfortunately the tactic of divide and conquer seems to be working well in our global economy. I applaud the efforts of those in UCD to draw attention to this international boycott.

by Orpheus - libertarian Sat Oct 11, 2003 15:34

im in favour of the boycott but even if the referendum is passed coke will still be widely available throughout campus. The referendum must be combined with a camapign to pressurize the college authorities not to grant coke licenses to operate vending machines and the food outlets on campus not to sell products produced by coke. Nestle was banned in union shops in 1993 yet you can still buy nescafe from a vending machine outside the SU shop under the library and nestle products are also available through vending machines in the arts block.


Hopefully the referendum will be passed but it should not be viewed as the end of the campaign.

by Phuq Hedd Sat Oct 11, 2003 17:44

According to a piece in the Irish Independent (Katherine Donnelly Sat Oct. 16th) the spokesperson for SIPTU's Drink, Tobacco and Distribution branch, Ann Speed, said that the campaign is "ill thought out" and that it was a "big step" to say that Coca-Cola supported paramilitaries. The whole article is a scare-mongering one suggesting that approx. 1000 Irish jobs could be lost if the boycott is succesful.

Nice to see SIPTU displaying solidarity with their trade-union brothers and sisters.

by me Sun Oct 12, 2003 13:07

1.the facts that siptu are using on whether or not there is a link between the murders and coke are supplied by guess who?not sinal trainal.not an independent report.by scab unions formed by coke and of course the company itself.
2.this boycott will not have the huge economic effect that siptu fear,the products as previously said will still be available on campus.this is not a perfect situation but it does highlight what is going on and encourages others to boycott.if enough people stop drinking coke then thats their right and siptu might then have to question their facts and their franchises boss.
3.if it was badly thought out(which i don't think it was),then at least it was thought about.these people have been slaughtered for years and siptu still deny it even has anything to do with coke,despite the evidence.
4.if they fear for their jobs just because one college is so far holding a referendum(not even passed)then their must be other reasons why their jobs are in danger.blame the students sounds good.
5.this is a matter to be decided by the studets of UCD.siptu are free to speak as they please,but like i said before if a majority of UCD students (and hopefully others)decide to boycott coke,then siptu should ask why this happened.look at the facts and then come back and tell us about working for franchises who supply a company which allows the innocent to be killed.

by mangaire sugach Mon Oct 13, 2003 01:54

Can someone from ucd keep us informed here on indymedia about the progress? Maybe write a leaad article about it?

also are there any more such boycotts being planned?

What about all the secondary schools around the country with vending machines? Would the asti be interested?

LIke fuck they would. Sure what has that got to do with them? They'd be looking for xtra pay for implementing the boycott!!! OUch!

Well?

by antrophe Mon Oct 13, 2003 19:58

Well, the only update so far is that the polls have kicked off. Stay tuned tomorrow...

by fin Mon Oct 13, 2003 20:19

some people from the campaign will be on news 2 tonite so watch out

by Carpe Deum Tue Oct 14, 2003 00:55

Well done to all those who got this referendum called in UCD. Good luck with the outcome. Definitely want to hear more on how you organised this campaign, and suggestions for the rest of the colleges around the country to do likewise. Link to your UCD site with more info??

I would say fuck SITPTU if they criticise this campaign.., they didn't get their workers to support Shannon warport demos either, so although they say they have their worker's interest's at heart, you've got to know where to draw the line and stop accepting blood money.

I've boycotted cocacola for quite some years now, for many reasons.., does this boycott include all coca-cola products including riverrock crap water?

just a small point,please spell COLOMBIA right.., Columbia is a state in the USA. If you're gonna write an article about a place, it's good to spell it correctly...
sláN

by . Tue Oct 14, 2003 13:14

schools may think about their uniforms: where are they made?
and carpe deum means seize God.
carpe diem means seize the day.
%-)
Columbus is also spellt Colombus
but referred to himself as Colom
and is also known as Colòn.

by Pamela Newenham Tue Oct 14, 2003 15:37

As the Coca-cola referendum takes place in UCD over the next few days, we the students must ask, will it make a difference???
As the Coca-cola referendum takes place in Ucd over the next few days, we the students must ask ourselvers; what differece will it make? At present campaigners are pushing for the removal of coca-cola products from the Student union shops, due to the murders of a number of coca-cola employees in Columbia. People in Ucd want to make a difference and help the columbian workers. However, this will not happen by just removing coca-cola products from student union shops. They should remove it throughout the university.By removing Coke products from the entire of UCD campus including the outlying faculties of Ealsfort Terrace and Richview, we could make a huge difference, with perhaps other universities following suit. If the students Union are that serious on the whole issue, they should use their power and remove it throughout the univesity.

by pc Tue Oct 14, 2003 16:19

and are any other colleges doing it in su shops, which colleges took on the nestle boycott and have kept since then?

by Anne Speed - SIPTU Thu Nov 20, 2003 02:16 Liberty Hall Dublin 1 01 8748346

Reply from Anne Speed
(I am the Branch Secretary of the SIPTU Drinks Branch that has Coca Cola bottling plant workers in membership. I have just come across comments in reference to me and to workers in the Coca Cola bottling plant in Dublin on this and on other pages. Most of the comments are simply untrue.

Workers were prevented from expressing their views, threatened with legal action, assaulted (in one case) and also insulted by some students in favour of the boycott tactic. The object of this censorship tactic appeared to be to prevent ordinary workers from being allowed to exress their view to ordinary students.)

SIPTU workers in Coca Cola bottling franchise attempted to distribute a leaflet to UCD students. This is the supposed “interference” from “officials” referred to by the article by the Editorial Board.

Without getting into the substance of the argument - this is not the place - the workers consider the boycott call to be divisive of the possibility and need for workers solidarity within the Coca Cola system.

The workers in Coca Cola Ireland are aware that Right wing paramilitaries did enter and shoot and kill a Coca Cola worker and a manager in a Coca Cola bottling franchise plant in Carepa in 1996. This happened as part of an assault on a guerrilla force in the locality. One group of franchise managers (who have since been removed) in the Carepa plant in Colombia engaged in extreme threatening behaviour later in the 1990s against SINAL Trainal members. Coca Cola workers in Ireland demanded and received information on these and other events in Colombia. Nothing new or substantially different has been added by contact with a SINAL Trainal member visiting Ireland recently.

Coca Cola workers are aware of the extreme violations of human rights in Colombia and the role of right wing death squads in assassinating trade unionists, political activists and others. It is possible that those in Ireland who are genuinely outraged by these events and want to do something concrete about them have latched on to the boycott call. Coca Cola workers in Ireland merely ask if that is the right thing to do – and also ask why they were not asked for their views.

Not one Irish campaigner sought the views of or communicated with the Irish Coca Cola workers in the bottling companies. They wished to democratically express their views. So-called advocates of socialism and democracy deliberately excluded them from the debates in UCD – and insulted them when they attempted to express their views. It is not as though workers were asked to express solidarity and refused. They were never asked. If union members in Coca Cola refused to support their Colombian brothers and sisters, there might be a case for the boycott tactic. Pursuing this tactic in the absence of making contact with other Coca Cola workers throughout the world only serves to isolate Columbian Coca Cola trade unionists from their worldwide trade union comrades. For those active on issues pertaining to multinationals to refuse to make contact with the workers is to potentially cut off the active involvement and support of organised labour (as well as being politically sectarian).

A couple of observations on some comments I have come accross:

Major Woody October 31
I did not speak on any radio programme on this issue, nor have I ever said that there are no problems at the bottling plants in Colombia. Let us debate honestly and tell the truth.

A couple of commentators have alleged that “Speed” was out in UCD. I was not. Only ordinary workers and shop stewards from Coca Cola were. If you don't believe me, ask them.

I strongly suggest that anyone using this website contact SIPU Drinks branch for details of the SIPTU workers’ position. Better still, for those of you who are serious about this issue, and not just wondering through the web, why not meet the Coca Cola SIPTU members and hear their views face to face.

Geroid O Loinsigh November 3
Your comments are gratuitously offensive. I never have and never would tell anyone that has suffered repression that they have nothing to worry about. The trade union delegation that met the Colombian member of SINAL Trainal expressed solidarity and offered to pursue various forms of solidarity action.

Finally, to all of you out there, the workers in Coca Cola bottlers in this state cannot understand and are clearly bewildered as to why nobody among all of you revolutionaries, activists and democrats ever bothered to ask them what they think or can do, not just as trade unionists but as human beings. The only interest those “left-wing” supporters of the boycott in UCD expressed in the workers, was to ensure that they would not and could not express their views to students. They were insulted, called “company hacks” and, in one case, assaulted.

But then again they are just ordinary workers. What would they know?

by John Malone - Insurance advisor Tue Jun 14, 2005 16:02

well after hearing the outcry about coca cola. meca cola seems to be a much better choice in refreshing your thirst as well as your conscience. it is available in the city centre in a shop called Asian Food Co. located on 54/55 Mary street in Dublin 1. I recommmend if your passing by and in need of a drink that you opt for it and its a cool shop you might even find other products that take your fancy.