Interview with leader of Peruvian Coca-Cola workers: “We are stopping production”

On October 14, Fight Back! interviewed Cristiano Mayta, a trade unionist in Peru, to learn more about an upcoming strike of Coca-Cola bottling plant workers.

Fight Back!: What is your organization?

Cristiano Mayta: I am the International Secretary of the union SINATREL at a Coca-Cola bottling plant. I am also a member of an organization called Socialist Left of Peru (Izquierda Socialista Perú).

Fight Back!: When is the strike set to begin?

Mayta: At 7 a.m. in the morning of October 20 this year.

Fight Back!: Why is your union going on strike?

Mayta: Because the company does want to offer a solution to our list of demands for 2021-22. We have been meeting for the past seven months with zero results. The company claims they cannot meet our demands because of the pandemic. We do not believe this, because all throughout the pandemic we worked like normal and still generated profits for them.

Fight Back!: At how many different plants will the strike take place?

Mayta: The company we work at is called Arca Continental Lindley and it bottles for Coca Cola, Inka Cola, Sprite, Fanta and others. It has five bottling plants in Perú and the workers at these five bottling plants will be on indefinite strike.

Fight Back!: What does an indefinite strike mean?

Mayta: It just means that we are stopping production, withholding our labor power for an undefined time until the company brings solutions to our demands.

Fight Back!: How can we support your struggle, your strike?

Mayta: It has been two straight months that we have put on virtual protests and others in person. We ask that you share on social media our protests and statements from Facebook and Twitter from the page called GLORIOSO SINATREL PERU.

I want to ask you for the unconditional support in the method of struggle for our strike that starts October 20. Aside from the social media shares, send us written statements of solidarity from your organization or union, and or a short video with a solidarity message for the workers and our union SINATREL PERU. A big working-class thank you.

Long Live The Workers of the World!