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In June 2010, an inspection
of the Ministry of Labor (MITRAB)
detected several
irregularities in the Nestle
plant (Compañía
Centroamericana de Productos
Lácteos SA – PROLACSA) of
Matagalpa in Northern
Nicaragua. Now, the Union of
workers of Productos Lácteos
SA (SINPROLAC), affiliated
to the IUF, has reported a
new offensive of the
transnational corporation
and calls on the authorities
to intervene.
Last week SINPROLAC
executives traveled to the
capital and met with the
Deputy Minister of Labor,
outlining the urgent need
for the institution to issue
a final decision on the
outcome of the inspection
conducted in June at the
Nestlé plant in
Matagalpa
“During the inspection, the
MITRAB officer
detected several
irregularities. There was
an initial ruling that the
company appealed, and now we
are asking authorities to
issue a final decision,
forcing Nestlé to
change their attitude
because no problems have
been solved”, the general
secretary of SINPROLAC,
Felix Rizo stated for
Sirel.
Among the main problems,
SINPROLAC reported
several episodes of abuse
and disrespect against
workers and changes in the
basis for the calculation of
the thirteenth-month salary.
“There were several
instances where the
company's middle management
showed disrespect for
workers, and there was a
serious episode of physical
aggression against an
employee.
At our monthly meeting we
demanded that the
perpetrator of this act of
violence be punished, in
accordance with the internal
rules, but the company took
no action. In addition,
verbal abuse is constant",
said Rizo.
The general secretary of
SINPROLAC also said that
Nestlé unilaterally
changed the method of
payment, affecting the
calculation of social
benefits.
“There is an internal
agreement between the union
and the company for the
thirteenth month
calculation, which is based
on the real wages. However,
since last year the company
began to alter the payment
method, and, through
trickery, the Christmas
bonus began to be calculated
based on nominal wages.
This strategy is affecting
us economically", continued
Rizo,"and we are asking the
MITRAB to issue a
final ruling requiring the
company to respect the
internal rules and bipartite
agreements.
We need a greater presence
and effectiveness of the
labor authorities”, he
added.
SINPROLAC
also requested the MITRAB
to coordinate inspections
with different Government
authorities.
“In this company we produce
food. It is necessary that
the Social Security
Institute, the Ministry of
Labor and the Ministry of
Health conduct inspections
to ascertain the existing
health and safety situation
in the company and the union
must be a part of this
process", said Rizo.
Finally, the general
secretary of SINPROLAC
reported that in late
November the General Meeting
of the Union will be held,
for electing new authorities
and informing members about
the process of drafting the
list of demands to renew the
collective agreement that
expires in January 2011.
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