Coca Cola Workers Urgent Appeal to the International Community
March 23, 2004--Coca Cola workers’ health deteriorates as they continue hunger strike in eight Colombian cities
Thirty workers for Coca Cola bottlers in Colombia went on hunger strike on March 15 to protest the firm's labor policies. The strike is taking place in tents in front of Coca Cola plants in Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Bucaramanga, Cucuta, Cartagena and Barrancabermeja.
More workers are scheduled to join the hunger strike in stages. Within the plants, the remaining workers will abstain from eating while on duty.
The president of the National Union of Food Industry Workers (SINALTRAINAL), Javier Correa, who is also participating in the strike, explained that the purpose of the strike is to condemn nationally and internationally Coca Cola¹s abuses of its own employees¹ rights. Mr. Correa’s health, as well as the health of several workers, has rapidly deteriorated in spite of receiving IV fluids. There is great concern about of the strikers, Marco Tulio Rey, who had acute angina last March 19th.
But most outrageous is the fact that Coca Cola has been visiting Health Centers to demand that they do not deliver health care services to the workers until they stop the strike.
The Colombian government has kept silent to the workers demands and the police has tried to forcibly remove the strikers. In the Department of Cauca Valley the AUC or paramilitaries called the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia have threatened the workers. A written message to the strikers from the AUC reads: “The peaceful joint Block Calima and other urban collaborators of the City of Palmira, declare war to the individuals identified as the directors of this organization, so that they leave in no more than three months, otherwise they will be declared military objectives of our organization and we will finish them all. THE ANTISUBVERSIVE JUSTICE WILL MAKE JUSTICE.”
SINALTRAINAL needs urgent international support and solidarity and is asking from the international community to send protest messages to:
COCA COLA FEMSA
Juan Manuel Arbeláez (Director of Human Resources)
Armando Gómez (Chief of Labor Relations)
Tel.: 2942800 & 4011413 fax. 4011687
agomari@femsa.com.mx
cocacola@hotmail.comDEFENSORIA DEL PUEBLO
VOLMAR PÉREZ (Public Defender)
MARTHA LUCIA MELO (National Complaints Director)
Tel.: 3147300 & 5708331SOCIAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT
Dr. DIEGO PALACIO BETANCURT (Secretary)
Dra. LUZ STELLA VEIRA (Inspection & Unity Chief)
Tel.: 3365066 & 3410631INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
Dr. SABAS PRETEL DE LA VEGA
Fax. 5602604And a copy to SINALTRAINAL, fax 2455325 & Email: areainternacional@sinaltrainal.org
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