Attention: John Pope
Mr. Douglas N. Daft
Chief Executive Officer
Coca-Cola Company
One Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta, GA 30313
Dear Mr. Daft,
We are writing as a coalition of HIV/AIDS treatment activists, human rights advocates, Africa policy advocates, student organizations, public health experts, and other concerned organizations, to address Coca-Cola’s business practices in developing countries that are struggling to combat the global AIDS pandemic.
As members of the community, we challenge Coca-Cola to fulfill its fundamental obligation– to implement comprehensive HIV/AIDS workplace programs and policies, which include a provision of treatment and care for infected/affected workers and their dependents.
Specifically, in Africa, Coca-Cola agreed to pay for full medical coverage, including treatment with antiretroviral drugs, for any of the 1,500 direct corporate employees or their immediate family members who are HIV positive. However, an estimated 100,000 people are employed by the Coca-Cola system, comprised of fully or partially owned business and other companies that can and bottle your product under exclusive licensing agreements that include quality and operation standards set by Coca-Cola.
A limited program such as this that leaves most Coke employees behind, and the consistent practice of minimizing any fair obligations to those workers in order to maximize profits, is unacceptable.
Such inaction and neglect by Coca-Cola is resulting in otherwise preventable infections and needless illness and death in its massive African workforce. With the HIV/AIDS pandemic decimating whole societies, Coca-Cola must, now more than ever, take responsibility for the workplace policies and programs within the system and ensure all HIV infected/affected workers, and their dependents, have access to AIDS treatment and care.
Specifically, we demand that Coca-Cola immediately:
o Provide treatment, care, and support for all HIV positive workers--directly and indirectly employed-- and their dependents. Such treatment must include coverage of antiretroviral drugs.
o Ensure business partners and suppliers have HIV/AIDS workplace policies in place that include coverage of HIV/AIDS care.
o Offer confidential voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) to employees, their household members, and to surrounding community members where appropriate. Voluntary and confidential HIV testing must be provided with clear statements of non-discrimination.
o Provide measures to prevent HIV transmission in the workplace and provide education about sexual health and safer sex, and provide male and female condoms to workers and community.
o Recognize the disproportionate rates of infection and increased biological and social vulnerability to infection of HIV among women and take concrete steps to create favorable conditions of work that ensure safe and healthy working conditions for women. This includes protection from violence, harassment, and exploitation. An explicit goal must be to foster a workplace culture of gender concern/ equality in all relations. In cases of rape, post-exposure prophylaxis and all necessary testing must be available and covered, financially.
o Coca-Cola's HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programs must be developed in collaboration with employees, with encouragement of full participation of workers living with HIV/AIDS, labor representatives and bodies, and in coordination with community-based programs and initiatives.
Considering the grave consequences if Coke further delays a change in its business policy, we insist upon an opportunity to discuss these issues with you in greater detail at the earliest opportunity. If we do not receive an acceptable and timely response to this request, consumers in the U.S. will, through our efforts, learn of Coke’s willful neglect of the AIDS pandemic in Africa.
Sincerely,
Sharonann Lynch
Health Global Access Project (GAP)
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