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"Fri, May 01 2026, 15:56:51 GMT-4" [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4] ]

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Date Posted: 05:08:29 01/10/04 Sat
Author: mike
Subject: Irish Students Boycott Coca cola

Coca-Cola and Colombia

A Chairde,

Following the University College Dublin students' boycott of Coca-Cola products in October of this year, shop stewards from the Dublin Bottling Plant expressed dismay. They asked that if Irish students were organising on the issue in the future, they should include Coca-Cola workers in the debate.

In a letter to An Phoblacht, the same workers stated that they would work with the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) in pursuing justice for Coca-Cola trade union members. The IUF, for its part, says that the boycott of Coca-Cola products, endorsed by the Colombian Congress of unions is based on "unsubstantiated allegations and empty political slogans".

Human rights abuses in Colombia are reported through testimonies of those involved, from those in the workplace or community that have witnessed. They are painstakingly collected by national and international human rights workers as well as by Colombian lawyers and international observers through notarised affidavits. It is a risky business, substantiating allegations.

Coca-Cola has benefited most from the depletion of trade union membership at its plants, and from the reduced effectiveness of the unions. Coca-Cola owns over 35% of the Colombian plants involved in the human rights violations attested to by the Sinaltrainal union. Coca-Cola says that it cannot control what happens in or about its plants in "civil war Colombia". The fact is that they have ended up on the side of the paramilitary right wing.

In the view of independent observers, Coca-Cola has punished trade union activity by claiming that union members work with the guerrillas. This links legitimate trade union work with illegal activity, making it more dangerous and discouraging new members. Empty political slogans are a risky business for those on the receiving end.

A Sinaltrainal delegate who was in Dublin recently met with the branch secretary of the SIPTU drinks, tobacco and distribution branch. Shop stewards from the Dublin plant were also there. The meeting was acrimonious, but afterwards the Colombian brother, whose life has been continually threatened, and who spent six months in a Colombian jail on cooked up charges relating to his trade union activity, said though he did not agree he would respect the position taken by the Irish union.

I find it difficult to respect the pro-active anti-boycott pro-company stance taken by SIPTU on this issue. They promise solidarity while they organise against justice for Colombian trade unionists.

Dan Connolly,

Dublin.

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