Communiqué from the Coke workers' union
WORKERS ON NATIONAL HUNGER STRIKE FOR THE RIGHT TO WORK AND AGAINST THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AT COCA-COLA
WORKERS ON NATIONAL HUNGER STRIKE FOR THE RIGHT TO WORK AND AGAINST THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AT COCA-COLA
THERE WILL BE AN EMERGENCY MEETING 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)
ALL WELCOME
Starting at 6 A.M. on March 15, we, the workers, have initiated a Hunger Strike in front of the Coca-Cola plants in Barrancabermeja, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Medellín, and Valledupar. We're doing this to denounce, nationally and internationally, that nine Coca-Cola workers have been killed and 67 have been threatened with death; and that we've been the victims of attempted murder, kidnappings, forced displacement, and the burning of one of our union offices by the paramilitaries. This has forced many workers to resign from the union. We're also denouncing the unjust termination of employment contracts, the use of illegal confinement to force workers to resign, the subcontracting of more than 88 percent of the workers and the impact this has had on living conditions, and the attempt by Coca-Cola to eliminate rights in the negotiations of collective bargaining agreements as has been occurring since March 1 of this year.
Coca-Cola has imported sugar which affects the production and economy of Colombia. The company has taken advantage of the irrational use of water - the vital resource for humanity, has refused to commit itself to not using raw materials and products that are genetically modified, and has refused to agree to social investment for the communities. It must also be said that Coca-Cola is being denounced for abuses in other parts of the world. We're struggling for truth, justice, and reparations. That's why we filed suit in Southern District Court in Florida, United States, against the Coca-Cola bottlers. On March 31, 2003, Judge José E. Martínez, ruled that the cases filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) for violations of human rights could proceed for, among other reasons, the symbiotic relationship that exists between the paramilitaries and the Colombian state. But Coca-Cola has tried to criminalize various leaders of SINALTRAINAL, falsely accusing them of insult, slander, conspiracy to commit a crime, terrorism, rebellion, sabotage, property damage, and theft. In this way, Coca-Cola stigmatizes the unionists in order to justify their persecution and repression by the government through the legal system. Various leaders of SINALTRAINAL have been unjustly imprisoned, in spite of having shown that we're innocent and were falsely charged.
Since September 9, 2003, Coca-Cola has kept the bottling plants in Barrancabermeja, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Ibague, Montería, Neiva, Pasto, Pereira, Popayán, Valledupar, and Villavicencio illegally closed. Previously, they illegally closed the bottling plants in Bogotá, Buenaventura, Girardot, and Mariquita. To complete this panorama of injustice, on February 25, 2004, the Social Protection Ministry authorized the dismissal of 91 workers. This was done without taking into account that the company had already pressured more than 500 workers to resign, which is more than the 300 workers that the company initially wanted to dismiss. Coca-Cola has not respected the law, nor does it want to fulfill the legal resolution ("tutela") that ordered it to relocate the workers in other positions. It is refusing to abide by articles 18 and 91 of the collective bargaining agreements that require it to not dismiss workers in the case of a reduction of activities, closure of plants, or restructuring; but to train the workers and relocate them in other positions. With all this, the company is trying to destroy SINALTRAINAL, finish off the collective bargaining agreements, eliminate direct and long-term employment contracts, reduce costs, and increase its profits, by producing in just five megaplants and supplying the market from distribution centers.
We, the workers affected by the closure of the production lines, are continuing to resist. But, given the grave aggression that we're continuing to suffer, there's no other recourse but to declare a hunger strike and demand that Coca-Cola respect the law, and fulfill the legal resolution passed by the judge in January 2004 to protect the right to work and require Coca-Cola to relocate the workers in other positions. We're also demanding the fulfillment of the collective bargaining agreement by relocating the workers in other positions, an end to the repression, and respect for our human rights.
LUIS JAVIER CORREA SUAREZ President SINALTRAINAL
From 6.30pm Thursday 25th March at CORAS, 161 Lambeth Walk, SE11 (nearest tubes Vauxhall and North Lambeth)
ALL WELCOME
Starting at 6 A.M. on March 15, we, the workers, have initiated a Hunger Strike in front of the Coca-Cola plants in Barrancabermeja, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Medellín, and Valledupar. We're doing this to denounce, nationally and internationally, that nine Coca-Cola workers have been killed and 67 have been threatened with death; and that we've been the victims of attempted murder, kidnappings, forced displacement, and the burning of one of our union offices by the paramilitaries. This has forced many workers to resign from the union. We're also denouncing the unjust termination of employment contracts, the use of illegal confinement to force workers to resign, the subcontracting of more than 88 percent of the workers and the impact this has had on living conditions, and the attempt by Coca-Cola to eliminate rights in the negotiations of collective bargaining agreements as has been occurring since March 1 of this year.
Coca-Cola has imported sugar which affects the production and economy of Colombia. The company has taken advantage of the irrational use of water - the vital resource for humanity, has refused to commit itself to not using raw materials and products that are genetically modified, and has refused to agree to social investment for the communities. It must also be said that Coca-Cola is being denounced for abuses in other parts of the world. We're struggling for truth, justice, and reparations. That's why we filed suit in Southern District Court in Florida, United States, against the Coca-Cola bottlers. On March 31, 2003, Judge José E. Martínez, ruled that the cases filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) for violations of human rights could proceed for, among other reasons, the symbiotic relationship that exists between the paramilitaries and the Colombian state. But Coca-Cola has tried to criminalize various leaders of SINALTRAINAL, falsely accusing them of insult, slander, conspiracy to commit a crime, terrorism, rebellion, sabotage, property damage, and theft. In this way, Coca-Cola stigmatizes the unionists in order to justify their persecution and repression by the government through the legal system. Various leaders of SINALTRAINAL have been unjustly imprisoned, in spite of having shown that we're innocent and were falsely charged.
Since September 9, 2003, Coca-Cola has kept the bottling plants in Barrancabermeja, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Ibague, Montería, Neiva, Pasto, Pereira, Popayán, Valledupar, and Villavicencio illegally closed. Previously, they illegally closed the bottling plants in Bogotá, Buenaventura, Girardot, and Mariquita. To complete this panorama of injustice, on February 25, 2004, the Social Protection Ministry authorized the dismissal of 91 workers. This was done without taking into account that the company had already pressured more than 500 workers to resign, which is more than the 300 workers that the company initially wanted to dismiss. Coca-Cola has not respected the law, nor does it want to fulfill the legal resolution ("tutela") that ordered it to relocate the workers in other positions. It is refusing to abide by articles 18 and 91 of the collective bargaining agreements that require it to not dismiss workers in the case of a reduction of activities, closure of plants, or restructuring; but to train the workers and relocate them in other positions. With all this, the company is trying to destroy SINALTRAINAL, finish off the collective bargaining agreements, eliminate direct and long-term employment contracts, reduce costs, and increase its profits, by producing in just five megaplants and supplying the market from distribution centers.
We, the workers affected by the closure of the production lines, are continuing to resist. But, given the grave aggression that we're continuing to suffer, there's no other recourse but to declare a hunger strike and demand that Coca-Cola respect the law, and fulfill the legal resolution passed by the judge in January 2004 to protect the right to work and require Coca-Cola to relocate the workers in other positions. We're also demanding the fulfillment of the collective bargaining agreement by relocating the workers in other positions, an end to the repression, and respect for our human rights.
LUIS JAVIER CORREA SUAREZ President SINALTRAINAL
