|
-What do you
think of the IUF’s teaming up with Amnesty International to carry out this
action?
-I think it’s a
very good thing, because it enables us to give visibility to situations of
abused workers and violation of labor rights. These situations are more common
than we imagine, which is why it is important for us to continue these efforts.
Take for
example the case of
Gertrude Hambira.
We’ve been working on this case since 2009, and the last we’ve heard of this
unionist is that she is still in exile, after being persecuted and harassed in
her country for her work as general secretary of the General Agriculture and
Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ).
With this kind
of actions we’re denouncing several things. This case does not just expose the
situation of one female union leader from the agricultural sector of an African
country, it reveals how the development models and production systems in place
are directly responsible for violating human rights.
-In Latin
America there are numerous cases where labor rights are being violated. What is
AIU’s approach to that situation?
-For us, as a
chapter from the South and from Latin American, it is a great challenge to begin
working on a regional perspective. Which is why this alliance with the Regional
Office of the IUF is crucial.
Finding issues
in which we can work together to carry out joint actions is a goal we hope to
achieve in the short term. These alliances are key for implementing actions that
will enable us to make a difference and change certain realities.
 |
