SIPTU section supports Columbian Coca-Cola workers

by Cian Thu Mar 18, 2004 12:11

COMMUNIQUE No 2: HUNGER STRIKE IN COCA COLA - COLOMBIA

Today, 16 March we are 35 hours into the hunger strike by Coca
Cola workers in Colombia, for the defence of the right to work
and against serious attacks by the multinational. Here is our
information for national and international public opinion.

1. At 10.30 a.m. on 15 March (4 hours after the strike started),
compañero Euripides Yance the President of the Barranquilla
branch of SINALTRAINAL was threatened over the telephone. The
caller intimidated those on hunger strike. This situation made
us fold up the public tent at 6 p.m. and move the participants
to the trade union headquarters in the city. Today our comrades
have returned to the entrance of the Coca Cola plant, where they
are continuing with the protest.

2. And on 15 March, from 6 a.m. the Ministry of Social
Protection attended the Coke plants in Cúcuta and Bucaramanga,
with the pretext of supposed strikes or illegal work stoppages.
The officials returned to the Cúcuta plant at 7 a.m. under the
same pretext. We are concerned with this interest by the
Ministry of Social Protection in presumed work stoppages, since
we have never announced that production will be halted.

3. Management at the Cúcuta and Bucaramanga leaves the plant
gates open all the time; something which has never occurred
before. This is strange, and it seems designed to allow access
into the plants of persons hostile to the workers out to cause
damage, creating difficulties for our protest which is being
carried out in a peaceful manner. We do not forget that in the
past strange people have come into the plant, leaving graffitti
in the washrooms which were paramilitary threats against the
union leaders.

4. The attitude of middle management in the plants has been to
try and provoke the workers, trying to spread bad feeling
against the hunger strikers who are staying there in tents.

5. During the morning hours of today, 16 March, two Toyota Prado
vans with dark windows, one grey with number plate OBR 049 and
the other white with number plate BOH 961, showed up at our
protest in Cali. This happened several times, giving concern and
upset to the hunger strikers. This situation has already been
denounced to the authorities.

6. Compañero Eberth Suarez the President of the Cali branch of
the union received threatening calls on his mobile phone this
morning.

The above events worry us deeply, there could well be an attempt
to destabilise the conflict; more especially since the
corporation is being reluctant to talk with the workers.

Once again we denounce the pro-boss attitude of the Ministry of
Social Protection that authorised the closure of 10 Coca Cola
plants and the collective sacking of workers when this
corporation is one of the most profitable in the country and the
world. Government policy is contradictory in that it authorises
the closure of profitable production whilst unemployment is
growing in Colombia.

The corporation is substituting direct employees with exploited
sub-contractors supplied through [so-called] associated work co-
operatives and pimp labour supply agencies, so by-passing the
collective work agreements.

Once again we demand that the corporation immediately respects
the rights of its workers as protected in the national
constitution and we seek a solution to this labour conflict.

Please send messages to:

COCA COLA FEMSA
Juan Manuel Arbelaez (Director de Recursos Humanos)
Armando Gómez (Jefe de Relaciones Laborales
Telefonos 2942800 y 4011413 fax. 4011687
agomari@femsa.com.mx y cocacola@hotmail.com

DEFENSORIA DEL PUEBLO
COLMAN PEREZ (Defensor del Pueblo)
GUSTAVO ROBAYO
Teléfonos: 3147300 y 5708331

MINISTERIO DE PROTECCIÓN SOCIAL
Dr. DIEGO PALACIO BETANCURT (Ministro)
Dra. LUZ STELLA VEIRA (Jefe de Unidad e Inspección)
Teléfonos: 3365066 y3410631 *

Yours sincerely,

EDGAR PÁEZ M.
National Executive
SINALTRAINAL - Colombia

by Terry Butler Wed Apr 14, 2004 00:44

I don't doubt that trade union members are harrassed in South America, it's been happening for some time. I only recently heard about this particular case.
Although not a union member I would gladly support the rights of workers to join a union.
Could I also draw the attention of SIPTU to the appalling suffering endured by people in labour camps in the Peoples Republic of China?
Inmates of these camps are used as slave labourers, among the camp population are many Falun Gong practitioners who are forced to work 18 hours a day. ( Falun Gong is a spiritual practice outlawed by the Chinese authorities since 1999 ).
Many of the Chinese - made products seen in shops worldwide originate from these camps.