Student boycott ‘puts Coke jobs at risk’

JOBS could be at risk from the decision of students, at the country’s biggest university, to boycott Coca Cola products on campus, union officials warned last night.

There are also fears among workers at the Irish Coca Cola bottling factory in Dublin that a spread of the UCD boycott could have more serious effects.

The referendum among students at UCD, followed a campaign over alleged attacks against trade union members in Colombia by Coca Cola, or its bottlers. The decision to boycott the drinks products, and ban their sale in students union outlets, was passed by a slender margin in a vote on Monday and Tuesday.

Coca Cola Bottlers Ireland employs around 500 staff at its bottling factory on the Naas Road in Dublin, and the same number again in a Belfast factory, and distribution depots in Cork, Tuam, and Killarney.

SIPTU branch secretary Ann Speed said these operations have no connection with facilities in Colombia, and the Irish company is completely independent of the US-based drinks giant.

“The campaign at UCD was ill-informed and we were given very little chance to contribute to the debate. The immediate effect could be job losses among people delivering and marketing products on campus, but production jobs could be in danger if this boycott spreads further,” she said.

A spokesperson for Coca Cola Bottlers Ireland called on the students of UCD to reconsider the consequences of their decision, and hold a further ballot.

“The company has no relationship or business association with Colombia, a boycott of this nature can only be harmful to the Irish economy and potentially damage employment levels.” UCD’s student union did not take a side in the debate.