Honduras SABMILLER

With Felicito Ávila, Minister of Labour

STIBYS - SABMiller / Coca Cola Agreement:

A role model to follow In addition, Minister intervenes in the industrial dispute at the National Agrarian Institute (INA)

 

  Galería Fotográfica  

     

 

The signing of the new collective agreement between the Union of Beverage and Related Industry Workers (STIBYS) and Cervecería Hondureña SA (SABMiller - Coca Cola) represents an important outcome for the future of industrial relations in Honduras. This is what the Minister of Labour has told Sirel after the ceremony in San Pedro Sula, ensuring at the same time that he is committed to searching for a solution to the serious industrial conflict in the INA.

  

 

-After nearly 14 months, a new agreement between the STIBYS and SABMiller / Coca Cola has been signed. How do you evaluate this outcome?

-It is a great satisfaction, because it is a step forward that improves working relationships and productive ones in the country.

 

Hopefully this will be a stimulus so that in every company there are unions and collective bargaining.

 

-That has not been achieved yet…

-It is a process. In a society like ours we must start with the fact that we have to educate ourselves, so as to know that compliance with the law is what gives us the exercise of freedom.

 

If we achieve this goal we will have more freedom to be more democratic, and have better working conditions and living standards.

 

-In his speech, Carlos Reyes, president of STIBYS, has demanded once again the abolition of the law that promotes temporary employment. What is your opinion on this?
-It is an issue that we are also discussing with the trade unions and we will meet to discuss and learn about their approach. We have to find mechanisms to promote job stability.

 

- Do you share the concept that all permanent work must be done by permanent workers?
-In order to have decent jobs we have to have permanent work. When that does not happen we have difficulties because the workers’ rights can not be guaranteed.

 

We all aspire to the existence of permanent jobs, however it can not be ignored that the same crisis of the Government has made us look for alternatives. Now it is important to enter a dialogue stage, to see if we have got through that moment, and if we can encourage permanent work once again.

 

-The dispute and the crisis at the INA continue. How is the Ministry doing the follow up?

-After the Union of the National Agrarian Institute Workers (SITRAINA) called for the closure of the mediation stage, I contacted their directors and the director of INA, César Ham. I can tell you that we will resume the mediation stage.

 

Also, I spoke with Carlos H. Reyes, on behalf of the UITA, with Juan Barahona of the Unitary Federation of Workers of Honduras (FUTH) and Luis Santos Madrid, president of SITRAINA. We all agree on the need to get the parties together again to seek a solution to the conflict.

 

-Would you be available to talk directly with the parties to try to close the gap before resuming Mediation?
-The break is deep, but I have talked to the director of INA and told him to act in the same way we are doing with the rest of the mediations.
It is necessary that empowered people attend the negotiation meetings and not just any delegate. He agreed and we will meet without wasting any more time.

 

Felicito Ávila, Ministro de Trabajo

From San Pedro Sula, Giorgio Trucchi

Rel-UITA

January 20, 2012

 

 

 

 

Photo: Giorgio Trucchi

  

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