Guatemala: Pepsi's corporate criminality
Rich Winkel
** Topic: URGENT: Pepsi Cola Alert **
** Written 9:43 am Sep 8, 1993 by newsdesk in cdp:reg.guatemala **
From: IGC News Desk <newsdesk>
Subject: URGENT: Pepsi Cola Alert
From: i...@geo2.geonet.de
Subject: URGENT ACTION PEPSI
FROM: IUF, GENEVA
TO: UNIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
Concerns: Pepsi Cola Guatemala
On August 19, workers at Embotelladora La Mariposa S.A. (the
PepsiCo franchise in Guatemala) filed a legal document that
requested respect for the dignity of workers, freedom of
association and labour stability. On the same day they gave a
copy of the constitution of their union, the Sindicato de
Trabajadores Embotelladora La Mariposa SA ("SITRAEMSA") to the
General Inspectorate of Labour. These are the normal steps to
begin the process of union recognition.
The reaction of the company's owners and management was severe:
August 21 - No union information was allowed into the plant.
August 23 - A management communique blamed the foundation of the
union on Coca-Cola and its salesmen. Since then management hhas
issued 4-5 bulletins a day, denouncing various unions including
the IUF affiliate FESTRAS and the IUF itself.
On the other hand, the mass media has refused all access to
statements from the union, perhaps because Pepsi is a major
advertiser.
August 23 - Individuals in vehicles without license plates and
with polarized windows began to put the IUF office in Guatemala
under surveillance.
August 24 - Raul Rodriguez, a member of the union executive, was
kidnapped for six hours, threatened with death and forced to sign
a withdrawal from employment and from the union. Union general
secretary Fabio Mazariegas and two other workers (one of them,
Adan Rodriguez, was imprisoned in the factory for 36 hours), were
threatened with death by two of the company's owners.
August 31 - Crisanto Garcia was held for five hours by one of the
owners and the Manager of Human Resources, and threatened until
he signed his resignation.
September 2 - During the night armed men came to the home of
Crisanto Garcia, threatening his wife.
Members of other unions leafletting the Pepsi Cola plant in
support are being photographed by uniformed men and followed by
black vehicles with polarized windows.
Salesmen from the Pepsi plant are being ordered to steal or
destroy at least 150 cases of Coca-Cola bottles weekly. The
intention is probably to encourage confrontations between Pepsi
and Coke sellers, and thereby to weaken solidarity among their
unions. The Coca-Cola franchise and the union that represents
its workers have decided to avoid being provoked into fights,
even if they witness such actions.
Mariposa SA belongs to a family group controlled by the Castillo
brothers, who also control other beverage, food and finance
companies, and make up one of the most powerful groups in
Guatemala. It has resisted unionization through a combination
of intimidation and "Solidarismo" (a form of company unionism).
While the repressive actions of Pepsi franchise La Mariposa would
be alarming under any circumstances, they raise particular
concern in Guatemala. We must only recall how many workers'
lives it cost to win the struggle to unionize the Coca Cola
franchise in Guatemala City.
Therefore, we are asking for urgent action to safeguard not only
the new union, but the lives of its leaders and members. IUF
Regional Secretary Enildo Iglesias has sent protests to La
Mariposa and requested the Guatemalan government to intervene.
The IUF has faxed a letter to PepsiCo , a copy of which is
attached for your information.
What Can be Done
1. Send (preferably by fax) a letter to Wayne Calloway, Board
Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, Inc. This letter should hold
PepsiCo accountable for doing everything within its power to stop
the repressive actions of its franchise in Guatemala, including
the threat of withdrawing its license.
Mr. Wayne Calloway, CEO
PepsiCo Fax: +1 914 253 2070
700 Anderson Hill Rd.
Purchase, NY 10577 USA
2. Send (preferably by fax) a letter to Guatemalan President
Ramiro de Leon Carpio, requesting his urgent intervention.
Lic. Ramiro de Leon Carpio
President of Guatemala Fax: +5022 519702
Palacio Nacional
Guatemala, Guatemala
3. Please send copies to the IUF, Rampe du Pont-Rouge 8, CH-1213
Petit Lancy, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 793 22 38, Phone +41 22 793
22 33.
We will keep you informed of all important developments.
Dan Gallin
General Secretary
The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant,
Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is an
international federation of 226 trade unions in 90 countries,
representing a combined membership of 2.3 million workers.
COPY OF LETTER
Mr. Wayne Calloway, CEO
PepsiCo
700 Anderson Hill Rd.
Purchase, NY 10577 USA Fax: +1 914 253 2070
Dear Mr. Calloway,
The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant,
Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) and the
226 affiliated unions it represents are very concerned with
developments at your franchise in Guatemala, Embotelladora La
Mariposa S.A.
Since workers have initiated legal procedures to begin the
formation of their union on August 19, the owners of the
franchise have engaged in various acts of intimidation and
repression. These are reported to include:
(1) threatening the closure of the plant if unionization
continues.
(2) interrogating and threatening employees. It is reported that
the managers Carlos Monge and Roy Wever Sempe have threatened
union members Fabio Fernandez Mazariegos, Sergio Gonzalez and
Adan Raul Rodriquez. Other workers were taken to the residence
of owner Castillo, and threatened at gunpoint with death if they
did not resign their jobs. An employee who was made to resign
received 30,000 quetzals (US$ 5,300) in compensation.
(3) Our Guatemala office has been under surveillance by
paramilitary groups since August 23.
We are aware that Embotelladora Mariposa is a franchise of
PepsiCo and not a direct subsidiary, but we also know what
actions of this kind mean in a country like Guatemala.
Consequently, in the event the necessary measures to correct this
situation are not taken, including the possibility of withdrawing
the Pepsi franchise from Mariposa, we will also hold PepsiCo
responsible for what might happen.
Therefore we ask you to take, with the urgency that the situation
demands, whatever corrective action is required to guarantee the
lives of the employees at La Mariposa, as well as their rights
to work and form a union.
We look forward to your prompt response.
Yours very truly,
Dan Gallin
General Secretary
end
** End of text from cdp:reg.guatemala **