Coca Cola

Con Acuerdo Firmado, Finalizó la Huelga de Hambre de los Trabajadores de Coca Cola

El 25 de noviembre de 2016, día cinco de huelga de hambre, de trabajadores de Coca Cola en Bucaramanga, Cúcuta y Medellín, se firmó acuerdo con Coca Cola y revocamos el despido del trabajador Álvaro Navarro de Cúcuta, los descargos de Alexander Rincón, Juan Manuel Concha, terminó en un llamado de atención y tres días de suspensión para Javier Correa, desmontando la pretensión despido que había contra los dirigentes de Sinaltrainal.

Salimos con la moral en alto, demostramos que luchando se puede, seguiremos defendiendo los derechos de los trabajadores y no hemos retrocedido ante el asesinato de 25 de nuestros compañeros, los encarcelamientos, los desplazamientos, los exilios, los desplazamientos, las judicializaciones, las amenazas de muerte, la quema de nuestra sede sindical, las campañas de la empresa o los paramilitares para hacer renunciar a los trabajadores de Sinaltrainal, los miles de despidos y los antisociales contratos basura como la subcontratación.

Se firmó el compromiso de no represalias, no se puede confiar en los propietarios y administradores de Coca Cola, son varios los actos de traición y solo basta recordar que en 1992, incumpliendo el compromiso, un trabajador que laboraba como auxiliar de almacén en Bucaramanga, fue despedido luego de firmar la Convención Colectiva de Trabajo. En abril de 2015, creímos en la empresa y terminamos la huelga de hambre en la ciudad de Bogotá y luego ante la CETCOIT, se negó a reunirse nacionalmente con Sinaltrainal para tratar la problemática que sigue acumulada, el 4 de noviembre del 2016, confiamos en los representantes de Coca Cola y terminamos la huelga de hambre iniciada el 31 de octubre y a la reunión del 11 de noviembre, ante la Viceministra del Trabajo, habían llamado a descargos cuatro dirigentes de Sinaltrainal, uno con carta de despido y todos correrían la misma suerte.

Sinaltrainal enviara una carta a la Viceministra del Trabajo, ratificando su compromiso de respeto a los representantes de Coca Cola, aclarando que no implica renunciar a nuestros derechos Constitucionales, Legales, los convenios internacionales y haremos respetar el derecho de asociación, la libertad sindical, el derecho de expresión, la libertad de pensamiento, de protesta y dejamos claro que para Sinaltrainal y sus afiliados, el respeto se construye con base en resolver las reclamaciones, cumplir la Convención Colectiva de Trabajo, los derechos laborales y respetar la dignidad de todos los trabajadores.

La empresa acordó que tiene la voluntad para tratar con Sinaltrainal los 60 puntos de la problemática laboral que le fueron notificados el 31 de octubre de 2016 y se acordaron reuniones para ello.

Logramos que el 24 de noviembre de 2016, la Secretaria de Salud de Bucaramanga, ingresara a Coca Cola y constató las denuncias hechas por Sinaltrainal, sobre los accidentes por fugas de amoniaco, que afectó a trabajadores que fueron sacados en ambulancia hacia el centro hospitalario, los olores fétidos que desprende la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales, la elaboración de productos con cloro, la emergencia sanitaria causada por los daños en los sanitarios, la prohibición de preparación de jugos con frutas naturales para consumo de los trabajadores enfermos de diabetes, entre otros, y la empresa fue obligada a cumplir en 30 días.

Los dirigentes de Sinaltrainal, se les pagó las quincenas de salario pendiente y la empresa expedirá un documento autorizando el ingreso a cobrar su salario y no volverá a prohibir su ingreso.

Agradecemos a todos los trabajadores, organizaciones y comunidad en general que se solidarizaron con nuestra lucha que tiene un beneficio común.

Invitamos a todos los trabajadores a organizarse en Sinaltrainal, denunciar la problemática laboral y luchar unidos para derrotar la política antisocial que viene aplicando Coca Cola, lograr el respeto a nuestra dignidad y no permitir que la multinacional siga dañando el futuro de nuestras familias, como ha ocurrido con miles de trabajadores despedidos, enfermos y a quienes les niega sus derechos y subcontrata en Colombia.

Sinaltrainal Presente

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Following the Signing of an Accord, the Hunger Strike by Coca Cola Workers has been Lifted

Sunday 27^th of November 2016

On the 25^th of November 2016, the fifth day of the hunger strike by Coca Cola workers in Bucaramanga, Cucuta and Medellin, an accord was signed with Coca Cola pursuant to which the company agreed to revoke the dismissal of Alvaro Navarro, the pending proceedings to dismiss Alexander Rincon and Juan Manuel Concha, and the three days suspension of Javier Correa, dismantling the coordinated actions that had been instigated against the Sinaltrainal leaders.

We have emerged from the most recent dispute with Coca Cola with our morale high; we demonstrated that with solidarity and determination it is possible to confront oppression, that we will continue to defend the rights of the workers, and that we have not surrendered notwithstanding the assassination of 25 of our companions, the numerous imprisonments of our members and leaders, the forced displacements and exiles, the judicial and bureaucratic persecution, the death threats, the burning of one of our trade union headquarters, and the thousands of unjust dismissals that mark the campaign by the company and the paramilitaries to force Sinaltrainal members to renounce their affiliation with the trade union and accept exploitative and insecure individual contracts and outsourcing schemes.

Although the accord that was signed includes a commitment by Coca Cola that it will not undertake reprisals against Sinaltrainal members, we cannot naively trust that the owners and administrators of the company will abide by the terms of the agreement. On repeated occasions they have betrayed us after signing similar agreements. A recent case in point occurred in April of 2015, when we accepted commitments made by the company and terminated a hunger strike in the city of Bogota. After signing the agreement, the company refused to participate in the series of nationwide meetings that it had committed to in order to resolve the matters subject to dispute and the problems faced by the workers continued to grow. On the 4^th of November 2016, we acted in good faith following commitments made by the representatives of Coca Cola and terminated the hunger strike that we commenced on the 31^st of October. Once again the company refused to honour its agreements; moreover, in a subsequent meeting held in the presence of the Deputy Minister for Labour on the 11^th of November, the company notified us that had initiated proceedings to dismiss four Sinaltrainal leaders.

Sinaltrainal will send a letter to the Deputy Minister for Labour, ratifying its commitment to respect the agreement made with Coca Cola’s representatives and clarifying that the agreement does not imply that we have renounced our constitutional and legal rights, and we will make sure that Coca Cola respects our right of free association, the right to form a trade union, and the right of free expression, and that a relationship of respect can only be constructed on the basis of resolving our claims, fulfilling the Collective Work Agreement, complying with our labour rights and respecting the dignity of all of the workers.

The company has stated that it is willing to negotiate with Sinaltrainal to address and resolve the sixty points of dispute that we notified them of on the 31^st of October 2016 and has agreed to attend a series of meetings for this purpose.

We also succeeded in getting the Health Secretary of Bucaramanga to inspect the Coca Cola plant on the 24^th of November to verify the denunciations made by Sinaltrainal concerning the ammonia leaks that affected several workers who had to be transferred to the hospital, the putrid odours from the waste water treatment plant that permeate the facilities, and other grave health and safety breaches that the company is now obliged to rectify within thirty days.

The leaders of Sinaltrainal that were unjustly and illegally suspended have been paid the wages that they lost as a result and the company has expedited a document guaranteeing that they will not reinstate proceedings for their dismissal or prohibit their entry to the workplaces of affiliated workers.

We appreciate the solidarity that has been demonstrated by all of the workers, organizations and the community in general for our struggle in common benefit.

We invite all Coca Cola workers to organize with Sinaltrainal, to denounce any labour/ management problems that they face, and to defeat the anti-social strategies and policies that Coca Cola has been applying for over thirty years so that the owners and administrators of the company respect our rights and dignity and cannot continue jeopardizing the future of our families, as has occurred with thousands of unjust dismissals, health and safety breaches, and the systematic denial and violation of the fundamental rights of its workers.

Sinaltrainal Presente