NEWS UPDATES:
March, 2006 - uksac newsletter 5
March 17th, 2006 - new letter to us from Sinaltrainal.
March 16th, 2006 - Coca-Cola Challenged at World Water Forum.
March 9th, 2006 - The UN's ILO asked to investigate – another “Classic Coke” move.
March 13th, 2006 - UKSAC Newsletter 4.
March 16th, 2006 – PCS union reaffirm support for boycott.
March 6th, 2006 - UKSAC Newsletter 3.
March 6th, 2006 - people of Mehdiganj announce Indefinte Protest Against Coca-Cola to be launched March 23rd.
March 6th, 2006 - UKSAC statement on the IUF's positions.
March 2nd, 2006 - USAS statement on possible ILO investigation of Coca-Cola's Colombian Operations
List of global support for the campaign.
6pm, February 15th, 2006 - Transnational Resistance to Neoliberal Globalisation: Students Against Coke! Ray Rogers, Director of the US based Campaign to Stop Killer Coke speaks in London.
February 7th, 2006 – Teamsters, the largest Coke union in the world demand Action From Coca-Cola on Global Rights Standards.
February 4th, 2006 - Death threats against SINALTRAINAL leader in Bogotá.
January, 1st, 2006 - University of Michigan removes all Coke products from the university after Coke blocks progress for an independent investigation into the situation in Colombia.
welcome to the UK Students Against Coke website
Coca-Cola is one of the world's most powerful and profitable corporations. In 2004, Coca-Cola earned $4.85 billion in profits. Yet, despite repeated pleas for help, Coca-Cola has not found the time or resources to insure the most basic safety of the workers who bottle its products or prevent massive environmental devastation in the communities where it does business.
Coca Cola in Colombia. SINALTRAINAL, the trade union that represents Coca cola workers in Colombia, have suffered the assasination of 8 of their leaders, killed by paramilitary allegedly hired by Coca Cola management. The union has also witnessed the imprisonment, forced displacement, torture and death threats against hundreds of workers at Coca Cola bottling plants throughout the country.
Coca Cola in India stands accused of draining and poisoning the water people need to survive. In Plachimada in Kerala, local people have held a 24 hour vigil since April 2001 outside the Coca-Cola bottling factory which siphons off 1.5 million litres every day. Without water for their crops, thousands of people have lost their livelihood.
Coca-Cola in Turkey In May 2005 Coca-Cola fired 105 workers in Istanbul, Turkey. The day before Coca-Cola officials told workers that “if you don't quit the union, I will end your contract.” On July 20th, while a sacked worker representative attempted to reach a temporary resolution, Turkish riot police brutally beat up roughly 150 workers and their families with clubs. This occured inside the Coca-Cola compound and with the approval of Coke officials.
Coca Cola in the UK: This year the contracts that UK students have collectively with Coca Cola are up for renewal. Its failure to address human rights and environmental concerns leads us to believe that the only incentive for Coca-Cola to change its behavior and act in good faith towards those affected is through us ending our student union contracts with them.