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Guatemala: rampant increase of anti-union violence and repression |
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Urgent Appeals 2010
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Monday, 01 March 2010 |
World Solidarity (WSM) and the Belgian Confederation of Christian Trade
Unions (ACV-CSC), remain extremely concerned about the soaring increase
of anti-union violence in Guatemala in the last years.
Since the trade unions, organisations of indigenous people and peasant
movements have decided to join forces in 2008 within the “Movimiento
Sindical, Indigena y Campesiono Guatemalteco” (MISCG, or the Guatemalan
Trade Union, Indigenous and Peasant Movement), its members and leaders
have increasingly been the victims of acts of violence and repression.
On 06th January 2010, Ms. Maria Vasquez, Deputy Secretary General of the
Trade Union in the company EMPRESA WINNERS SA was kidnapped and
tortured. Ms. Maria Vasquez was inaugurated as the Deputy Secretary
General for the Trade Union in the EMPRESA WINNERS SA amid complaints
about the company for breach of labour laws, such as the non-payment of
the bonus provided in Decree 37-2001, the absence of childcare
facilities and the refusal to reinstate dismissed workers.
On the 13th January, 2010, the trade union leader Evelinda Ramírez Reyes
was shot dead on her way back after meeting with senior government
officials at the headquarters of the Executive Secretariat of the
Presidency.
On January 29, 2010, Pedro Antonio García was stopped and killed by
heavily armed men while returning to his home from his workplace located
in the Municipality of Malacatán. Pedro Antonio García served as the
Secretary of Culture and Sports of the Municipal Workers Union of
Malacatan, San Marcos, union affiliated to the Confederation of United
Trade Unions of Guatemala (CUSG) and the MSICG.
These anti-union criminal acts are the result of the parallel powers
that are allowed to operate in Guatemala with impunity. Also the
government continuously attempts to delegitimize the MSICG in national
and international forums instead of encouraging an inclusive social
dialogue aimed at eradicating the violence and respecting the core
labour standards of the ILO. In a recent statement, the ITUC noted that
‘In order to divide the labour movement and weaken its autonomy the
trade union members are ‘poached’ and “parallel” unions are created to
serve the interests of the government rather than the needs of
Guatemala’s workers.’
The ACV-CSC, affiliated to the ITUC, and WSM condemn the continuation of
these anti-union practices against Guatemalan trade unionists.
Together with the ITUC, ACV-CSC and WSM urge the Guatemalan authorities
to identify, capture, prosecute and convict all those that are either
materially or intellectually responsible for the kidnapping,
intimidation, torture and killings of trade union leaders in Guatemala.
We also urge the authorities to take every possible action to stop the
repression against the trade unions and social movements, in accordance
with ILO Convention 87.
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