STATEMENT FROM SINALTRAINAL

Thirty workers at the US multinational have for 11 days been on hunger strike, in rejection of the corporation’s collective sackings, in defence of their jobs and for the survival of their union SINALTRAINAL.

After 264 hours of fasting, the hunger strikers present a progressively more serious deterioration: emaciation (accelerated loss of weight) and profound dehydration. Some hunger strikers show less and less tolerance to the loss of liquids, in spite of periodic hydration, and are permanently on drips. Signs of depression are common amongst the participants. Symptoms such as dizziness, head aches, fainting, palpitations, chest pains, lack of sleep have become constant.

We are deeply worried by the threats against the hunger strikers launched by paramilitary groups in the Valle del Cauca department.

We make FEMSA COCA COLA, PANAMCO COLOMBIA S.A., COCA COLA COMPANY, EMBOTELLADORAS DE SANTANDER S.A. y EMBOTELLADORAS ROMAN S.A. [Coke’s bottling companies in Colombia] responsible for the serious risks being run by the hunger strikers, for their brittle health and for the paramilitary threats.

We ask the general population to demand from the multinational a prompt solution to the problems that generated the hunger strike. Relocation [to other posts], the immediate end to the sackings, and respect for the human rights of the workers will all contribute to achieving labour peace in the bottling companies at a national level.

As a result of the protest that we have taken in defence of our jobs, labour stability and the existence of SINALTRAINAL inside the multinational, as well as other actions, we have agreed a meeting with the company’s President and its top managers at 2p.m. next Friday 26 March at their main site in Bogotá.

We invite all social oraganisations to accompany us outside the Coca Cola plant a (No 42-94, 94th Avenue) during the meeting in order to pressure for a prompt solution to this serious situation.

Cordially,

SINALTRAINAL
24 March 2004

We ask you to send letters of protest to:

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

With a copy to: SINALTRAINAL, fax (00571) 2455325 and to electronic mail:
 sinaltrainal@sinaltrainal.org,  areainternacional@sinaltrainal.org

and in the UK and Europe to Jose Nunez Cervera, Director Coca Cola European Public Affairs e-mail  jnunezcervera@eur.ko.com and to Martin Norris, Communications Director, Coca-Cola, UK  mnorris@eur.ko.com.
With copies to:  colombia_sc@hotmail.com


THERE WILL BE AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE COLOMBIA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN open to all those who want to help with Solidarity Action in support of the Coca Cola Hunger Strikers.

From 6.30pm Thursday 25th March at CORAS, 161 Lambeth Walk, SE11 (nearest tubes Vauxhall and North Lambeth)
READ MARK THOMAS'S ARTICLE IN THIS WEEK'S NEW STATESMAN ON THE HUNGER STRIKE