At this moment a group of protestors are occupying a Coca Cola bottling and distribution plant in north London. This demonstration has been carried out in solidarity with murdered Coke workers in Colombia. The Colombian trade union of food and beverage workers, Sinaltrainal, has called for a worldwide boycott of Coca Cola to begin today, 22 July. Sinaltrainal has had fourteen members murdered in the past fifteen years, eight of whom were employees of Coca Cola’s local contractors. Michael, a 26-yr old protestor said: “I am here today because I am sickened by the knowledge that Coca Cola workers in Colombia are paying with their lives for simply belonging to a union.”

The Colombian trade union, with help from the International Labor Rights Fund and the United Steelworkers of America, has launched a historic case against Coca Cola and its local subsidiaries in the US courts. On March 31 of this year, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez ruled that cases brought by Colombian Plaintiffs under the Alien Tort Claims Act for human rights violations committed by paramilitaries on behalf of Coca-Cola bottlers Panamerican Beverages, Inc. and Bebidas y Alimentos in Colombia can go forward.

Colombia is currently the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist. Local lawyers have gathered evidence suggesting that Coca Cola bottling plant managers have acted in complicity with right-wing paramilitary death squads in order to have union leaders assassinated.

Veteran American union leader James P Hoffa, general president of the Teamsters recently warned Coke that it “must acknowledge that the killing and abuse of its workers is far more than a marketing problem. This company must take responsibility for its employees and negotiate an enforceable rights agreement with its unions.”

The protestors in London have demanded that Coke issue a statement guaranteeing the physical safety of their workforce, and to respect their workers’ right to belong to a trade union. The demonstrators say they will maintain the occupation of the plant until Coke issues this statement.

For further information contact Gareth Gordon: 07952 774525
Also:  http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk/cocacolacampaign.htm