The general secretary of
the Trade Union Federation of Food, Agroindustry and Related
Industry Workers of Guatemala (FESTRAS), David Morales,
reports that after a direct intervention from the IUF the
antiunion campaign launched weeks back by the Solidarity
Movement that operates internally in the Coca-Cola
Retalhuleu plant -formed by company executives and owners-
eased up considerably. According to Morales, “This has
rekindled the spirits of the workers, giving them strength
not to give in to pressures from the ‘solidaristas,’ who
have gone as far as visiting workers at their homes to
intimidate them. The Human Resources manager herself, Alma
Concepción Velásquez de Aceituno, was the one who visited
workers at their homes to pressure them into leaving the
union.”
In Morales’ opinion, “The
new campaign started right after 34 workers from the
Huehuetenango distribution center, where a total of 50 are
employed, joined our union last August. We mustn’t forget
also that our fellow workers are subjected to working
conditions that reveal a complete lack of respect at all
levels, not only at this workplace, but throughout the
company in general.”
Last August 30, IUF’s
regional secretary, Gerardo Iglesias, sent a letter to the
general manager of INCASA, James Ernest Shutts Vlaming,
expressing his concern over “the company’s constant
violation of labor rights,” and warning that “if such
practices do not cease immediately, we will double our
efforts to denounce the situation internationally, and will
summon the greatest solidarity for the workers affected.”
David Morales, for his
part, tells us that “While as a result of this warning from
the IUF the situation has calmed down, given this company’s
track record, our organizations will remain in a state of
alert, as we don’t rule out the possibility that this is
merely a temporary tactic.”
