In July 2003, LASC launched the boycott of Coca-Cola in Ireland (see photos and comments on Indymedia). This is part of an international boycott of Coca-Cola, called by the Colombian trade union SINALTRAINAL, which represents workers in Coca-cola bottling plants in Colombia.

 

1. Why boycott Coca-Cola?

2. What is the background to the Coca-Cola boycott?

3. The progress of the boycott in Ireland to date

4. How can you get involved?

5. Other information on Coca-Cola

 

1. Why boycott Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola in Colombia and its agents have turned a blind eye to, financially supported, and actively colluded with paramilitary groups in efforts to destroy bottling plant workers attempts to organize unions and bargain collectively. Since 1989, eight union leaders from Coca-Cola plants have been murdered by paramilitary forces, some of them attacked within their factory gates. Other Coca-Cola workers have been unlawfully detained, kidnapped, and tortured by members of the paramilitary working with the blessing of, or in collaboration with, company management.

 

2. What is the background to the Coca-Cola boycott?

Colombia has long been the most dangerous country in the world to organize a union. Since the mid-1980s, roughly 4000 Colombian trade unionists have been murdered. In 2000, three of every five trade unionists killed in the world were Colombian. The vast majority of these murders have been carried out by right-wing paramilitary groups on an ideological mission to destroy the labor movement, often working in collaboration with the official U.S.-supported Colombian military. Many of the victims of this violence have been young people working for multinational companies, such as Coca-Cola, with operations in Colombia. Workers and advocates charge that these companies have ignored pleas for protection and in some cases have actually encouraged the paramilitaries to attack workers. Coca-Cola is one of the world's most powerful and profitable companies. In 2002, the company earned nearly $4 billion in profits, enough to pay its Chairman, Douglas Daft, $105 million in compensation. Yet, despite repeated pleas for help, Coca-Cola has not found the time or resources to insure the safety of the Colombian workers who bottle its products.

 

According to numerous credible reports, the company and its agents have turned a blind eye to, financially supported, and actively colluded with paramilitary groups in efforts to destroy workers attempts to organize unions and bargain collectively.

 

Since 1989, eight union leaders from Coca-Cola plants have been murdered by paramilitary forces, some of them attacked within their factorys gates. Other Coca-Cola workers have been unlawfully detained, kidnapped, and tortured by members of the paramilitary working with the blessing of, or in collaboration with, company management. One of the prinicipal murders referred to is that of Isidro Gil who it is claimed was murdered inside the plant after the plant manager in Carepa, Antioquia in the north west of Colombia publicly boasted about using the paramilitaries against the union.

 

These attacks have taken their toll on Coca-Cola workers efforts to organize. The union that represents them, SINALTRAINAL, has suffered a dramatic loss in membership, as worker leaders are intimidated or forced into hiding. SINALTRAINAL has asked for solidarity and received help from allies in the U.S. labor movement. The United Steelworkers and the International Labor Rights Fund have filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola on behalf of the union and victims' families in U.S. federal court. Other unions, including the Teamsters, and community groups and student groups such as USAS have launched public campaigns targeting Coke.

 

Similarily, members of Sinaltrainal in Nestle have also been murdered and threats have been issued by the paramilitaries against Nestle employees in Colombia after the company told milk suppliers that it may have to shut down unless the union withdrew its demands. The union asked Nestle to publicly distance itself from the paramilitary threats. So far Nestle has issued no response to the petition.

 

3. The progress of the boycott in Ireland to date

LASC has organised two visits of members of SINANTRAINAL to Ireland - Maria Ermelina Mosquera in May 2003 and Luis Eduardo Garcia in November 2003.

 

One of the best known bars in Belfast "The John Hewitt Bar and Restaurant" in Donegal Street decided to support the boycott and have removed Coca Cola from its shelves. Sandino's in Derry has done the same.

 

After considerable debate and media coverage, Coca-Cola has now been banned by student unions in both Trinity College and University College Dublin.

 

In May 2004, at the annual general meeting of SIPTU's Education Branch - which organises 2,000 workers in colleges - a motion calling for no investment in Coca-Cola by their pension funds (or by SIPTU's own pension fund) was carried.

 

For a more detailed summary/analysis of the progress of the boycott in Ireland, read Gearoid O'Loingsigh's article on the Community Workers Cooperation website.

 

Click here to read an interwiev with Javier Correa, President of Sinaltrainal

 

4. How can you get involved?

Stop Coca-Cola Crimes in Colombia! Sign the petition clicking here.

 

Do not buy Coca-Cola or Coca-Cola products: Coke, Odwalla, Minute Maid, Sprite, Diet Coke, Fanta, Nestea, Powerade, Tab, Bacardi mixers, Disney juice drinks, Dr. Pepper, Barq's, Surge, Mello Yello, Fresca, Fruitopia, Hi-C fruit drinks, and Dasani, Dannon and Evian bottled water. See this link for a full list of Coca-Cola brands.

 

Visit www.killercoke.org to inform yourself more about the issues and the campaign.

 

Download the campaigns resource pack and start a campaign to ban Coca-Cola in your college, university, school or workplace.

 

Download the 'Fact-sheet on Coca-Cola' produced by the People's Forum against Coca-Cola.

 

Journalists may interview Gearoid O'Loingsigh, the co-ordinator of the boycott in Ireland.

 

5. Other information on Coca-Cola

5.1 - Water Shortages in India caused by Coca-Cola's operations

Earth Day, April 22, 2004, marked the second anniversary of a community vigil held outside the gates of Coca-Cola's largest bottling facility in India- in Plachimada, Kerala. Communities living around Coca-Cola's bottling plants in India have been experiencing severe water shortages as well as polluted groundwater as a result of Coca-Cola's operations in the area. These problems are not isolated to one particular plant or area, but is a pattern that has emerged from Coca-Cola's operations in India. Thousands of people are being affected by the water shortage and pollution caused by Coca-Cola, and the company is the target of strong and growing grassroots movements in many areas of India, including Plachimada, Mehdiganj and Sivaganga. More information http://www.indiaresource.org/

 

5.2 - Coca-Cola banned in Indian parliament cafeteria

The Indian parliament has also banned the sale of Coke and Pepsi products in its cafeteria. The ban came as the result of tests, including those by the Indian government, which found high concentrations of pesticides and insecticides, including lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos, in the colas, making them unfit for consumption. Some samples tested showed the presence of these toxins to be more than 30 times the standard allowed by the European Union. Tests of samples taken from the US of the same drinks were found to be safe. This is characteristic of the practice of large multinationals serving up products that have been banned in the West to new and emerging markets in developing countries. More information http://www.indiaresource.org/

 

5.3 - Coca-Cola and cocaine

Coca-cola admits that its formula once contained cocaine. However, do the links stop there? Read this article for allegations of involvement by Coca-cola in the drugs trade.

 

5.4 - Coca-Cola and Nigeria

Coca Cola corporation is also under a global boycott because of its active support of the Abacha military dictatorship in Nigeria. Many corporations have pulled out of Nigeria due to the impossibility of doing business there without financially supporting the crimes of the Abacha regime, which include cultural genocide, intense political repression, ecological devastation, and the murder of thousands of dissidents and other innocent people. The Free Nigeria Movements calls CokeTM , "the internal propaganda arm of the illegal Nigerian military junta", which still holds the democratically elected President of Nigeria, Mushood Abiola, under house arrest.

 

5.5 - Health reasons to avoid Coca-Cola

In case all the above wasn't enough, Coca-cola is dangerous to health due to high levels of sugar, the use of Asparatame in Diet Coke, potentially high levels of aluminium and many other reasons. In the US there is a movement to keep Coca-Cola and other soft drinks out of US school cafeterias due to concerns about obesity and poor nutrition. Read more

 

For other Coca Cola campaign news and updates click here

 

Spread The Word - Spread the Boycott!

 

 

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