Colombian unions have called for a year long boycott (starting 22 July 2003) of Coca Cola and their products, in solidarity with SINALTRAINAL, the Colombian Food and Drink Workers’ Union.
SINALTRAINAL has suffered the assassination of 8 union leaders (and the wife of one victim) killed by paramilitary death squads, allegedly acting under orders of Coca Cola management. The union has also witnessed the arbitrary detention, torture, forced displacement and forced exile of hundreds of their members. A Judge in the USA, hearing a case brought in solidarity with SINALTRAINAL has ruled that there is enough evidence of these allegations for the case to continue, yet Coca Cola refuses to cooperate with the union, and continues its policy of repression. The Boycott was originally called by SINALTRAINAL, and has been endorsed by the CUT (the main workers central in Colombia) and the World Social Forum, for the following reasons (among others!):
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For the violation of the human rights of workers and communities.
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For profits made off the back of assassinations, imprisonment, kidnapping, death threats and dismissal of trade unionists in Colombia, Guatemala, Brazil, Peru, USA, Venezuela, Palestine, Turkey, Iran and other countries.
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For racial discrimination against black communities, and for discrimination against those with HIV or AIDS.
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For its unfettered use of the world’s water, and the criminal theft of water from communities in India.
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For supporting the criminal oligarchy in Venezuela, and for its historic interference in the internal affairs of peoples.
www.sinaltrainal.org
www.colombiasolidarity.uk
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