From Oct. 19^th through the 23^rd, a Mission of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Association (IUF) traveled to El Salvador to back the democratic participation of the leading representatives of the food processing industry, supporting the actions and work of its affiliate, the Trade Union Federation of Salvadorian Food, Beverage, Hotel, Restaurant and Agricultural Industry Workers (FESTSSABHRA), a member of the El Salvador Labor Confederation (CSTS).

The Mission recognized the efforts of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, under the conduction of Victoria Marina de Avilés, in the framework of the project of change that is being implemented in that State body.

Today, a significant part of the country's labor movement notes and acknowledges that the Ministry is operating with strict adherence to legal procedures in the field of labor, thus generating a sense of reassurance among workers, who feel confident that their rights will be respected.

The IUF knows from its long experience in the country that in previous administrations many trade unions that registered with the Ministry were subjected to a number of terrible consequences, such as massive arbitrary layoffs among their members, labor persecution at all levels, and the dissolution of their organizations.

Despite the progress detected, the Mission was surprised to find that the tripartite system -which is supposedly formed by representatives of the government, business, and workers- still fails to engage the organizations that legitimately represent the labor movement, the organizations that daily represent the true demands of the working class. This absence clearly explains why the so-called labor sector supported proposals that go against the true interests of the workers, such as the attempt to extend the working day in the free-trade zones from 8 to 12 hours proposed by the Chamber of Textile Businesses in mid 2010.

The IUF also understands that the Labor Ministry, acting together with the labor movement and in strict observance of union freedom principles, must review and update its union registers to prevent petty, personal and even business interests from arrogating the representation of workers, a representation that they do not have.

Lastly, we salute our fellow workers of El Salvador and extend our solidarity and support on occasion of the celebration of the "Day of the Trade Unionist" next October 31, in memory of the 1989 bombing of one of the country's leading trade union headquarters, which killed ten of the best trade union leaders in the history of El Salvador, including our fellow worker Febe Elizabeth Velásquez.

Today, like yesterday, we express our deepest solidarity with the Salvadorian labor movement.