GROWING INTERNATIONAL UNITY
In April the International Teamsters organised a tour inside the USA of trade unionists fighting Coca Cola’s vicious policies around the globe.
Luis Javier Correa Suarez, President of Colombia’s food and beverage union Sinaltrainal, described the vicious attacks on union workers in his country. Seven Colombian Coca-Cola workers have been brutally assaulted and murdered during periods of negotiations with their employer.
Jose Francisco Argueta de la Cruz, General Secretary of Guatemala’s Central Bottling Company’s Workers Union -Coca-Cola. "Since Coke fired all its union leaders, conditions in Guatemalan Coke facilities are deteriorating".
Farayi Makanda, Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Transport and General Workers Union, Andrew Casino, National President of the Alliance of Coca-Cola Unions – Philippines and Bruce Amidon, former Teamsters Local 79 shop steward, reported a host of human and workers’ rights violations at their facilities.
Coke has denied all the above claims.
Harvard students called on Coca-Cola to take responsibility for the safety of workers at its production, bottling and distribution centers and to protect workers’ rights around the globe.
The group of international union representatives travelled to Coca- Cola’s annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday in New York City, where they met African American Coca-Cola workers still angry because conditions have not improved at the Atlanta based company since it agreed in November 2000 to pay $192.5 million to settle a class-action race-discrimination lawsuit and promised to change the way it manages, promotes and treats minority employees.
INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
SINALTRAINAL have decided to convene an International Public Hearing on assassinations of its members in Coca Cola plants. It divided into 3 sessions:
1st session July 22, 2002 in Atlanta, USA.
2nd October 12, 2002 in Brussels, Belgium.
3rd December 5, 2002 in Bogota.
Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de Alimentos SINALTRAINAL Carrera 15 No. 35-18. Telephone: 2 45 53 25 and 2 32 46 26. Bogota, Colombia
Email: sinaltrainaldinal@hotmail.com, audpubcoka@hotmail.com
