Coca-Cola Co. has always had a murky human rights record, but recent Pentagon releases prove the company’s (and its bottling partners’) connection to Colombian paramilitary groups whose purpose is to silence those who: are found guilty of “union organizing and recruiting;” pass out “propaganda in favor of workers;” and “sympathize with demonstrators or strikes.”

For the past two decades at least, several leading trade union workers have been assassinated, tortured, kidnapped or silenced in some way. Take for example the case of Isidro Segundo Gil, who was a worker at a bottling plant in Carepa and a member of the union exec. While he was at work on 12th May 1996, a group of paramilitary thugs entered the the plant and fired 10 shots, mortally wounding Gil. On the same day, another union leader was kidnapped and the union’s offices were burned down. The next day, the same group forced all the plant’s workers to resign from the union.

This is just one example. Over 500 Colombian union workers have been found to have been treated in this  inhumane way. As you would expect, lawsuits against the giant corporation prove futile. As a result of this shameful oppression of the unions, workers paid $380 a month were given paycuts to around $130.

This is a lot of detail, but I think it makes the point itself. Too often, corporations are able to use the developing world as some kind of seedy back-room warehouse where their treatment of workers borders on slave-driving. And we in the developped world don’t see the injustice. Coca-Cola’s financial(=political) weight in these countries means they can crush human rights movements before they get off the ground. Following this, advertising and an uninterested media means that we just don’t notice. Besides, how many of us would stop drinking coca-cola products, even if we were fully aware of their manufacturer’s unforgivable crimes?

There are a few campaigns fighting to spread the word and encourage a boycott of Coca-Cola products, lobby Coca-Cola fatcats and to show support for the workers in Colombia. Those of us fortunate enough to have the ability to speak out against murder ought to do the same, and give hope to the workers fighting for the rights which we take for granted.

On a wider point, this issue demonstrates how we have unwittingly sold our consciences to corporations like Coca-Cola Co.  Notice the “It’s not Christmas until the Coca-Cola advert comes on!” groups on Facebook. Notice how someone struggling for basic rights can’t sleep, in case a Coca-Cola henchman comes round. Notice that the cool, refreshing drink in your hand was funded by taking freedom from the hands of others. I don’t know what the cost of freedom is, but any idiot can see that it’s worth more than a can of coke.

Filed under: humanrights, socialjustice, trade unions on January 31st, 2010