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Montevideo, May 7, 2012
To
the President of the Republic of Panama
Mr. Ricardo
Alberto
Martinelli
Berrocal
Palacio de las
Garzas
Seat of the Government
Panama
Ref.: Labor persecution and savage harassment at
SABMiller
Mister President,
We
are writing you on behalf of our 386 affiliate
organizations from 120 countries to convey their
outrage and alarm at the events below, which
occurred at Cervecería Nacional, a brewery owned
by the transnational corporation SABMiller.
In
the afternoon of May 4, following negotiations
in a case of Labor Code violations,
representatives of the company rounded up
workers unionized under the Industrial Union of
Soft Drink, Beverage, Soda, Beer, Liquor and
Similar Beverage Production and Distribution
Workers (SITRAFCOREBGASCELIS)
to inform them that they were being made
redundant through a “mutual agreement,” which
the workers had to sign on the spot without
being advised by union representatives.
At
the workers’ legitimate refusal to sign what
would amount to a veiled dismissal, management
proceeded to instruct its private security
guards to prevent workers from leaving their
workplace at the end of their shift. The
order was carried out and the workers were held
against their will for several hours.
The union reported the situation to the National
Police, which sent officers to several
workplaces where workers stated that they were
not allowed to leave until they signed a “mutual
agreement” for dismissal. Only after the
police intervened were the workers released.
This incident also prompted the union to file a
formal criminal complaint, as the measure taken
by the company qualifies as kidnapping or
deprivation of liberty. We are also making
inquiries to find out the name of the lawyers
who advised the company and suggested this
measure, so that we can file a complaint against
them with the National Bar Association.
You may ask yourself, Mr. President, what leads
the company to take such reprehensible action?
Having lowered the wages of its distribution
workers, the company’s management knows that the
union will most certainly bring an action
against these cuts, which the company is likely
to lose. The best solution it found to avoid
this action was to fire all the workers and hire
new ones who would have no demands and be paid
lower salaries.
SABMiller’s
arrogance is such that it does not seem to care
that in its efforts to get its way it has to
trample Panama’s National Constitution and Labor
Code and international conventions ratified by
the country.
In
response to these actions and the company’s
attempt to wipe it out, the union called a work
stoppage for Tuesday, May 8, which will also
prevent any delivery trucks from going out on
their routes.
In
view of this situation and the reasons set out
above, we ask that you intervene immediately to
ensure that SABMiller commits to observe
Panama’s applicable legislation.
Your intervention, Mr. President, will not only
bring justice to the weaker party -the workers-
and contribute to social peace, it will also be
an act of defense of national sovereignty.
For our part, we will continue monitoring the
situation closely, ready to summon on a moment’s
notice the solidarity of our international
network of unions in support of these workers.
Yours sincerely,
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Gerardo Iglesias
IUF
Regional Secretary |
Norberto Latorre
President of the
IUF’s Latin American Executive
Committee |
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