Reply from Coca Cola to recent emails to the company regarding the violence in Colombia.
Basically doing a whitewash of themesleves.
Following was emailed to (presumably) most campaigners this AM (25/8)in the UK.
Pass the sick bag.....
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Subject: The Coca-Cola Company
Date: Aug 25 2004, 01:12 PM
Date - 25 August 2004
Dear M
Thanks for your email, regarding the allegations about The Coca-Cola Company in Colombia.
I want to reassure you that the allegations are false and it’s outrageous to believe that The Coca-Cola Company would have anything to do with this type of behaviour. We have been in Colombia for 70 years and have been an exemplary member of the business community. The accusations do not reflect the facts on the ground in Colombia.
Here Are The Facts:
· Two different judicial inquiries in Colombia – one in a Colombian Court, and one by the Colombian Attorney General’s office – have examined these issues and found no evidence of wrongdoing against our Company or our bottling partners.
· These allegations were the thrust of a lawsuit filed against The Coca-Cola Company in a U.S. District Court in Miami and:
o Our Company was dismissed as a defendant.
o We are confident that as this case proceeds, the court will find no evidence against our bottlers as well.
· SINALTRAINBEC, a Colombian union representing bottler employees, has publicly stated that it has "not a single indication" that Coca-Cola or any bottler has links to illegal armed groups.
The Coca-Cola Company has independently investigated all claims regarding human rights abuses in Colombia and has found no evidence to support them. We will continue to work to ensure that our Company and our bottling partners operate under the highest standards in Colombia.
Our Company has been a valuable member of the Colombian community for more than 70 years and our bottling partners respect the rights of employees, including those who choose third-party representation or union membership. In fact, our bottling partners enjoy extensive, normal relations with 14 separate unions in Colombia and currently have collective bargaining agreements in place with all of them covering wages, benefits and working conditions.
If any employee feels unsafe, local bottlers, working with local unions and the Colombian government, provide transportation to and from work, loans for secure housing, loans to improve security of union offices, paid cellular phones for emergency use, and shift and job changes.
Please let me know if I can help you any further with your questions.
With kind regards,
Maria Vaughan
Consumer Information Centre
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