Coke suffers defeat at INTO conerence

international | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Tuesday March 29, 2005 14:16 by Lasc - Lasc

The delegates to the INTO conference in Galway delivered a stinging defeat to the US multinational. Last year controversy broke out at the INTO due to the sponsorship they were receiving from Coke, evident through the huge stand they had there.

This year despite attempts to have motions rueld out of order at the Northern regional conference in Derry, a motion was put forward calling on the union to break off relations with Coke. The motion was overwhelmingly passed. So much so that the union leaders who had opposed the motion didn't even ask for a count.

Though the motion doesn't mention support for the boycott it was motivated by concerns over the allegations against coke in Colombia.

Last year one delegate asked whether the honour of the Irish trade union movement was to be forfeited for a free can of coke. This year a majority of delegates decided to tell their leadership no.