Colombia's Other Coke Problem

Coke’s refusal to assist an independent investigation into it’s union-busting in Colombia has caused the New York University to ban Coke products – the University of Michigan expected to do the same in a few days. Coca-Cola denies to be working with the Colombian Army’s death squads.

Colombia killings cause Coca-Cola ban

[Maria Engqvist, ANNCOL] US Student activists want Coke to agree to an independent third-party probe of labor violations at its Colombian bottling plants. More than 130 colleges and universities around the world have anti-Coke programs in place, and at least 20 either have banned Coke products or axed exclusive contracts. In early December, the largest private school in USA, New York University, banned Coke products. More are preparing to follow suit, including the University of Michigan on Dec. 31, according to the New York-based Campaign to Stop Killer Coke.

This initiative is part of an international campaign launched three years ago by the Colombian food and beverages union SINALTRAINAL. Since 1989 at least 8 union leaders from Coca-Cola plants in Colombia have been murdered and others have been abducted and tortured. The attacks against the union activists are usually accompanied by threats to all Coca-Cola employees to quit their union.

In a statement received by ANNCOL, the National Executive of SINALTRAINAL, Edgar Paez, says his union wants “reparation for the victims, a change in policy, and a condemnation of those responsible for the terror and crimes that sought to finish off SINALTRAINAL completely.”

According to Paez, a case against Coca-Cola in the US Federal Court, for crimes committed against the people of Colombia, is also “advancing in a very significant manner”.

The efforts come as Coke is attempting to jumpstart cola sales by rebuilding its image to become more relevant and cool. Its new "Welcome to the Coke Side of Life" ad campaign is due next year. The controversy "is the flipside of being a big brand," Coke spokesperson Kari Bjorhus told Brandweek. Coke is flatly denying that it bears responsibility for troubles at the Colombian plant.

The Colombian union says Coke bears responsibility together with the Colombian government for killing unionists demanding fair working conditions. SINALTRAINAL attorney Pedro Mahecha Avila told US media that: "the evidence of state complicity includes not only the impunity with which crimes are committed, but also the use of the military and courts to harass the union with unwarranted searches and false charges."