Union General Meeting (6th Dec 2005)
Coca Cola Boycott
Proposed by: Samir Jerai
Seconded by: Tim Holmes, Adam Hewitt, Michael Wood, David Marjoribanks, Justin Webber, David Potts, Beth Stewart, Ric Lander, Robert Griffin, Daniel Chapman, Chris Swann, Andrew Newman, Leah Watt and Elinor Rooks
This union notes:
(i) The claim on the part of the Colombia Solidarity Campaign that:
(a) “Coca-Cola company, Coca-Cola of Colombia, its partner, Pan-American Beverages (Panamco, SA – bought by Coca-Cola Femsa), and Bebidas y Alimentos de Uraba, SA are responsible for, by action or omission, the destruction of the union movement. This destruction has resulted in the assassination of nine workers, the exile of two, the forced displacement of 48, death threats against 67, and imprisonment by false accusation for 15 workers who were singled out by Coca-Cola managers as terrorists and criminals, all of which has stigmatized and demonized our union activities.”
(b) “Paramilitary death squads, acting, as confirmed by human rights groups, in complicity with the armed forces and other government-linked security forces, favour multinationals and their affiliates. Their continuous illegal pressure on union leaders has forced hundreds of workers to resign from the union and to reject work contracts and union agreements. The company now subcontracts 86% of its workers paying them low wages and allowing them no union benefits. this labour policy based on terror grants Coca-Cola enormous profit increases.”
(ii) The call for support and for a boycott of Coca-Cola from the SINALTRAINAL union in Colombia, which represents over half the workers at Coke’s Colombian bottlers. Carlos Julia of Sinaltrainal has officially stated “We ask Coca Cola to stop killing, and you to stop drinking Coke.” The boycott call has been supported overwhelmingly by the World Social Forum.
(iii) On 11th September, the President of the SINALTRAINAL union was kidnapped, tortured and killed. (He was actually a former Nestle worker – until he was sacked for participating in a union meeting – but all attacks on SINALTRAINAL and other real unions are part of the trend mentioned in 2. in Colombia).
This union believes:
(i) We should respond to the call which SINALTRAINAL have issued for international support with a boycott of Coke by backing the campaign (co-ordinated by the UK Students Against Coke network) for NUSSL (NUS Serviced Ltd) to join the boycott.
(ii) Further JCRs and members of YUSU may wish to join the boycott as well.
(iii) The case of Coke is of particular importance to us because students – by their membership of NUS and hence democratic control over the purchasing of many large venues – are in a uniquely powerful position to respond.
This union resolves:
(i) To send a representative to the 2006 NUSSL AGM, and mandate them to support a complete boycott of the Coca-Cola corporation (and to take the same approach should the question arise at any future NUSSL AGM).
(ii) To mandate our representative to ask for a card ‘poll’ to be taken on the question, should it not pass at a show of hands.
(iii) To mandate the President to write to Coca-Cola’s CEO expressing our objections to his company’s activities, and to SINALTRAINAL expressing solidarity and letting them know that we are joining the boycott call.
(iv) To refuse publicity to Coca-Cola, in our publications, at YUSU events, and in our buildings.
(v) To refuse from this point on all direct commercial relations with Coca-Cola.
(vi) To approach the companies with which both we and Coca-Cola have relationships, making our concerns with the multinational clear, and suggesting to them that they end their relationship with Coca-Cola as soon as possible.
(vii) To mandate the President to support any JCRs and individuals who wish to boycott Coca-Cola.
(viii) To carry a quarter page add in the Yor:Mag on at least two occasions before the end of 2006, supporting the boycott call and carrying salient facts about Coca-Cola with appropriate web links.
