Coke workers on Hunger Strike

by Gearoid O Loingsigh - Lasc Tue Mar 16, 2004 10:07

WORKERS ON NATIONAL HUNGER STRIKE FOR THE RIGHT TO WORK AND AGAINST THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
AT COCA-COLA

Starting at 6 A.M. on March 15, we, the workers, have initiated a Hunger Strike in front of the Coc
a-Cola plants in Barrancabermeja, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Medellín, and Valle
dupar. We're doing this to denounce, nationally and internationally, that nine Coca-Cola workers
have been killed and 67 have been threatened with death; and that we've been the victims of attempt
ed murder, kidnappings, forced displacement, and the burning of one of our union offices by the par
amilitaries. This has forced many workers to resign from the union. We're also denouncing the unj
ust termination of employment contracts, the use of illegal confinement to force workers to resign,
the subcontracting of more than 88 percent of the workers and the impact this has had on living co
nditions, and the attempt by Coca-Cola to eliminate rights in the negotiations of collective bargai
ning agreements as has been occurring since March 1 of this year.

Coca-Cola has imported sugar which affects the production and economy of Colombia. The company has
taken advantage of the irrational use of water - the vital resource for humanity, has refused to c
ommit itself to not using raw materials and products that are genetically modified, and has refused
to agree to social investment for the communities. It must also be said that Coca-Cola is being d
enounced for abuses in other parts of the world.

We're struggling for truth, justice, and reparations. That's why we filed suit in Southern Distric
t Court in Florida, United States, against the Coca-Cola bottlers. On March 31, 2003, Judge José E
. Martínez, ruled that the cases filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) for violations of hum
an rights could proceed for, among other reasons, the symbiotic relationship that exists between th
e paramilitaries and the Colombian state. But Coca-Cola has tried to criminalize various leaders o
f SINALTRAINAL, falsely accusing them of insult, slander, conspiracy to commit a crime, terrorism,
rebellion, sabotage, property damage, and theft. In this way, Coca-Cola stigmatizes the unionists
in order to justify their persecution and repression by the government through the legal system. V
arious leaders of SINALTRAINAL have been unjustly imprisoned, in spite of having shown that we're i
nnocent and were falsely charged.

Since September 9, 2003, Coca-Cola has kept the bottling plants in Barrancabermeja, Cartagena, Cúcu
ta, Ibague, Montería, Neiva, Pasto, Pereira, Popayán, Valledupar, and Villavicencio illegally close
d. Previously, they illegally closed the bottling plants in Bogotá, Buenaventura, Girardot, and Ma
riquita. To complete this panorama of injustice, on February 25, 2004, the Social Protection Minis
try authorized the dismissal of 91 workers. This was done without taking into account that the com
pany had already pressured more than 500 workers to resign, which is more than the 300 workers that
the company initially wanted to dismiss. Coca-Cola has not respected the law, nor does it want to
fulfill the legal resolution ("tutela") that ordered it to relocate the workers in other positions
. It is refusing to abide by articles 18 and 91 of the collective bargaining agreements that requi
re it to not dismiss workers in the case of a reduction of activities, closure of plants, or restru
cturing; but to train the workers and relocate them in other positions. With all this, the company
is trying to destroy SINALTRAINAL, finish off the collective bargaining agreements, eliminate dire
ct and long-term employment contracts, reduce costs, and increase its profits, by producing in just
five megaplants and supplying the market from distribution centers.

We, the workers affected by the closure of the production lines, are continuing to resist. But, gi
ven the grave aggression that we're continuing to suffer, there's no other recourse but to declare
a hunger strike and demand that Coca-Cola respect the law, and fulfill the legal resolution passed
by the judge in January 2004 to protect the right to work and require Coca-Cola to relocate the wor
kers in other positions. We're also demanding the fulfillment of the collective bargaining agreeme
nt by relocating the workers in other positions, an end to the repression, and respect for our huma
n rights.

LUIS JAVIER CORREA SUAREZ
President
SINALTRAINAL

by Dozzey McHugh Tue Mar 16, 2004 15:44

Coke is a massive employer worldwide but especially in this country. If everyone adopts the policies advocated on this site - who will employ these people if jobs go?

These allegations against coke are unproven and should not be advocated until such proof is proven.

Coke like so many multi-nationals began as small enterprises who made a success of their product the people are around the world buy it - other companies attempt to imitate their products with less success.

Companies like coke are large employers - as are mcdonalds etc and they provide large amounts of money into economies through taxes.

We should embrace these companies and hope that american multinational continue to pump money into this country and others like us - our economy depends on them.

by Badman Tue Mar 16, 2004 15:59

Them Hunger stiking trade unionists are probably just middle class college kids playing at politics before they get a job in daddy's bank. Not serious at all like Anne Speed and the SIPTU bureacracy - now there's a bunch of people who know solidarity when they see it!

by Dave Tue Mar 16, 2004 16:04

Don't bother Dozzey.

Gardai acting on unproven allegations vs protesters / Eoin Rice / strikers / etc = unjustified.

Protesters acting on unproven allegations vs Coca Cola = Freedom Fighting.

The people you are trying to convince are fascists - they want to tell you how to think because they 'know' themselves to be right. This is fascism.

Congrats to you on having an open mind. If Coke are guilty then hang em high. If Coke are innocent then find the culprits. In the meantime try and adopt a consistent, transparent process to get to the truth.

I think the left wing in this country are the most narrow minded, fascist, conservative people around.

by Plup Tue Mar 16, 2004 20:19

Surely, if coca-cola is guilty of all the evil crimes its acussed of any self respecting worker would resign from hem, rather than take a blood soaked pay-cheque from them?

Wouldn't the best thing be for them to close up in Colombia, and move somewhere else, hopefully where there is a stonger government?

Isn't that what the ban cok campiagn was about?

by Phuq Hedd Tue Mar 16, 2004 22:09

QUOTE: "Gardai acting on unproven allegations vs protesters / Eoin Rice / strikers / etc = unjustified.

Protesters acting on unproven allegations vs Coca Cola = Freedom Fighting."

ANSWER: Which allegations are unproven? Do you deny that Coca-Cola are employing bottlers that are trying to destroy unions and union-members within their plants? Furthermore, the Gardai assaulted Eoin Rice, they have not denied this and have open access to this forum just like anyone else. Those proposing to boycott Killer Coke are not standing on the necks of Coca-Cola board-members, nor yet are they running a business which profits from the assassination of Coca-Cola shareholders. All they are doing is exercising their freedom of choice not to have ethically repulsive products sold in their workplaces.

QUOTE: "The people you are trying to convince are fascists - they want to tell you how to think because they 'know' themselves to be right. This is fascism."
ANSWER; No, that's not the definition of fascism. Fascism is a particular model of society, one which emphasises corporate authoritarian structures. People who want to tell you how to think are people trying to convince you of something. That's not fascism.

QUOTE: "Congrats to you on having an open mind. If Coke are guilty then hang em high. If Coke are innocent then find the culprits. In the meantime try and adopt a consistent, transparent process to get to the truth."
ANSWER: Gosh, that sounds nice, but what you really mean is `Despite the fact that The Coca-Cola Company is employing bottling companies that have what a reasonable person would suspect are strong links with right-wing paramilitaries that have kidnapped, murdered and tortured union activists and their families I shall continue to hide behind the fig-leaf of the need for absolute proof'.

QUOTE: "I think the left wing in this country are the most narrow minded, fascist, conservative people around."
ANSWER: Let me guess, you're a member of the Young Fine Gael Flat Earth Society? But really I shouldn't take your words at face value, because you've already demonstrated that you believe "fascist" to mean "telling people what to think", so who knows what you really mean by the above sentence.

by Jimi Kavanagh Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:29

hate to agree.

HATE to agree.

As far left as most people can get, in fact i'm one of those smelly students you hear so much about, but the truth is you're right. The left wing, not only in this country, sees itself as moral guardians of everything. I agree with almost everything that the left (as if it were one body) says. However, this closed-mindedness is very damaging to the entire cause of socialism/anarchism/whateverismgetssyougoingism. Without evidence, it is fair to say that the left ARE thinking like fascists.

But if evidence is proven, then let's hang the fuckers dry.

by David Mon Mar 22, 2004 13:27

And what exactly is "the left" In reality that term is totally meaningless, It only refers to the seating arrangements in the Assembly during the french revolutionary era. the aristocracy sat on the right of the speaker and the commoners sat on the left.

Apart from that Left and right distinctions are meaningless because they can be twisted in any way to make any point.

'Left' wing people can advocate totally authoritarian structures of government as can 'right' wing people and the opposite both can also advocate libertarian policies (although the right prefer freedom for capital while the 'left' prefer freedom for people