Oct 2003

Support the Colombian Coca Cola workers campaign for trade union rights

No to factory closures - no more job losses

23.03.04 Report on Colombian Coca Cola workers hunger strike

Coca-Cola FEMSA (Coke's primary bottler in Latin America) just announced plans to close nine bottling plants in Colombia - which would leave 2,500 workers without a job.

On September 9, Coca-Cola  FEMSA called the workers to meetings in Barrancabermeja, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Duitama, Montería, Neiva, Pereira, Valledupar, and Villavicencio. 

The managers announced their plan to close those plants and pressured the workers to resign from their contracts in exchange for a lump-sum payment - "voluntary retirement."  The workers were told that if they didn't "resign," they would be dismissed. 

In Barrancabermeja the workers were given until 4 P.M. that afternoon to resign, and the administration has shut down the production line at the plant.

Coca-Cola FEMSA's efforts to force the workers to resign comes just two weeks after paramilitary gunmen shot at the vehicle of Juan Carlos Galvis - vice president of SINALTRAINAL (the Coke workers' union) in Barrancabermeja. 

Juan Carlos' bodyguards returned the fire and the gunmen fled away, and last week the 15 year old son of a union leader was kidnapped and tortured. 

Below is the text of the campaigning leaflet we have been using in the campaign.

International Socialist Resistance is campaigning in support of Coca Cola workers who are members of SINATRAINAL (a trade union which represents some sections of Coca Cola workers in Colombia) and their call for trade union rights to be recognised. SINATRAINAL members have appealed for support from workers around the world.

 Some trade union leaders have been murdered by paramilitary squads, others have been forced into exile and many face intimidation for being union activists.

 At Coca Cola’s bottling plants in Colombia there is a reign of terror against the members of SINATRAINAL, to try and smash one of the unions which are organising to fight the poverty wages and conditions that ensures Coca Cola’s huge profits.

 SINALTRAINAL union President Javier Correa describes conditions in Coca Cola’s Colombian bottling plants.

"The paramilitaries have graffitied threats and accusations against us on the walls of the bottling plants. These plants have become like concentration camps. The army patrols the buildings. There is so much repression that union workers are even followed into the toilet. One worker killed himself. In his suicide note he blamed Coca-Cola…. Coca-Cola has turned from a time of exploitation to a time of slavery. Because the workers continue to resist this oppression the paramilitaries now try to kidnap family members, they've burnt union headquarters and destroyed whatever evidence they can so we are unable to bring a case against them.”

Bush’s war of terror

While the United States government proclaims it is conducting a “war against terror” it actively promotes terror groups in Colombia on behalf of US corporations.

Under “Plan Colombia” the United States military has assisted the Colombian army — officially to fight guerrillas and drug cartels, but mainly to arm paramilitary death squads to fight ordinary workers peacefully campaigning against poverty wages and for union rights. So far over 3,000 workers have been murdered by these private armies. One of the U.S. companies to benefit from this practice is Drummond, part owned by… the Bush family.

British military aid

Campaigners have raised the possibility that British military aid to the Colombian security forces is contributing to abuses against trade unionists.  Due to the lack of transparency in British military aid it is unknown whether this assistance goes to those units of the Colombian army that share equipment, intelligence and other resources with the paramilitary death squads – who are responsible for 95% of the murders of trade unionists.  Additionally the British government refuses to make clear what mechanisms are in place to ensure that British aid is not going to such units.

What we call for:

·      All workers internationally to have the right to be a member of a trade union without the fear of intimidation, to have the right to strike to fight for better wages and conditions.

·      Trade union branches to discuss how best to support the call from SINATRAINAL Coca Cola union members for trade union rights.

·      Young people internationally to help build solidarity with workers calling for support for trade union rights such as organising meetings, protests and actions and to approach trade unions to appeal for support.

·     An end to British military aid to Colombian security forces.

·      A living wage for all workers now!

Against capitalism - for a socialist alternative

Under capitalism, profit will always come before people. That is why as long as capitalism exists there will be no end to exploitation, repression, war, poverty, the destruction of the environment and the other problems that face humanity. And that is why International Socialist Resistance (ISR) is against capitalism and is fighting for a socialist alternative.

There is enough wealth, technology and resources in the world to provide everyone with a good standard of living and genuine democratic rights. That wealth needs to be taken out of private hands and used for the benefit of all. We need a socialist society, where democratic planning of the resources of the world could abolish poverty, war, exploitation and want, and ensure the environment is protected.

Join International Socialist Resistance

ISR is an international anti-capitalist organisation run by and for young people. As well as in England, Wales and Scotland, ISR has groups in many countries: such as Sweden, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Northern and Southern Ireland, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, the USA and more. By building an international organisation, we aim to help link up the many struggles young people are involved in across the globe, against the policies of big business and governments. Above all we aim to build international opposition to capitalism itself.

links:

SINALTRAINAL

Web: www.sinaltrainal.org    

Colombian Solidarity Campaign: PO BOX 8446, London, N17 6NZ

and

Liam Craig-Best at Justice for Colombia (0207 794 3644 or 07931 374 379 or liam@aslef.org.uk).