Second Latin American Conference of Unilever Workers

Letter from Buenos Aires

Unilever is the third largest food company in the world and it is among the leading companies in the field of chemical products. It operates in more than 100 countries and employs approximately 174 thousand people. Its global sales for the first semester of 2008 totaled 28 billion dollars.

To achieve these “successful” figures, the transnational corporation applies a systematic policy of job cuts and increasing work casualization in its plants, implementing outsourcing schemes as a way to lower wages, and undermining labor organizations, in some cases going as far as conducting an outright persecution of trade unions.

The trade unions of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, now gathered for the 2^nd Latin American Conference of Unilever Workers, state their intention to regionally coordinate their activities, promote a permanent exchange of information, and strengthen solidarity ties to defend the interests of Unilever workers.

Buenos Aires, September 17, 2008