Workers Solidarity Movement

Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist with intimidation and murders being committed almost daily. Coca Cola is currently being sued by the Colombian food and drinks union Sinaltrainal for its (alleged) use of right wing paramilitary death squads at its plants in Colombia. The company has denied the allegations and predictably claims that it has no responsibility for the actions of the bottling plants.

This problem is not just confined to Coca Cola. Workers in Nestle have also been murdered and threatened. Although the union asked Nestle to publicly distance itself from paramilitary threats, they have so far failed to do so. The state has also played its part with trade unionists being imprisoned on trumped up terrorist charges for six months.

Sinaltrainal took the lawsuit against Coca Cola because they believe that they can prove that the parent company know what's going on and ultimately bears responsibility.

On Monday 26th May, Ermelina Mosquera, a member of Sinaltrainal came to Dublin to speak about their case against Coca Cola and to seek solidarity from Irish trade unionists. She also asked for support of an international boycott of Coca Cola products starting on July 22nd.

Members of the Latin America Solidarity Centre and other individuals are working to promote the boycott and to raise awareness of this issue in Ireland. Further details and a list of Coca-Cola products will be published on LASC's site at
http://www.lasc.ie/activities/campaigns

This page is from the print version of the Irish Anarchist paper 'Workers Solidarity'.

Print out the PDF file of WS76
This edition is No76 published in August 2003