For years the huge multinational Coca Cola company has sold itself through an image of love and global harmony. But what's the reality behind the image? This film highlights the company's controversial activities in Germany and India.
THE WORLD CUP: Coca Cola is one of the sponsors of the World Cup in Germany and only allows its own soft drinks to be consumed at the matches. Coke hopes sponsoring football will boost its sporting image - but for many German workers the multinational has a bitter taste.
COKE IN GERMANY: Coke got over 10 million euros in government grants to come to a region of high unemployment in East German. But now it's closed seven of its bottling factories and hundreds of jobs have been lost. Workers believe they are victims of globalisation as the multinational organises itself to employ fewer and fewer people.
COKE'S WATER PROBLEM: Coke's bottled water has got it into trouble, too. Coke uses its sponsorship of the World Cup to promote sales of its little known bottled water, Bonaqua. But the company has been plagued with scandals about its water - most famously the Dasani fiasco in Britain. Dasani was shown to contain excessive levels of bromine, and Coke took it off the market.
COKE IN INDIA: Coca Cola also faces anger in the developing world. Farmers in India believe one of Coke's factories is polluting their water supply. "The Coca Cola factory ruined my life," said one farmer, who has had to give up his farm and become a labourer on someone else's farm.
WATER SHORTAGE: In a land of severe water shortage many Indians feel Coke's factories are unfairly using up a precious resource. To produce a bottle of coke requires a litre of water. In some villages near Coke's factories water levels have dropped by 60 metres.
PROTESTS: Indians at all levels are united against Coke. Villagers accuse the company of being a water thief. Coke denies all responsibility and blames water shortages on wasteful locals. People protesting against Coke's actions are brutally attacked by the police.
WORKING FOR COKE: Coke is also accused of poor treatment of its Indian employees. Workers receive around 50 cents for a 12 hour shift. They have no unions and employees who protest are sacked. One worker complains of not being compensated for a serious industrial injury. He appears at the Coke factory every day, and every day he's turned away.
THE REAL WINNER? Coke sponsors the World Cup to associate its product with fun, achievement and being active - and the company gets big marketing benefits from this. No matter who wins on the football field, the real winner, it seems, is always Coca Cola.
|