Tens of thousands of former banana plantation workers across the world claim to have been made sterile as a result of applying a highly toxic chemical called DBCP - long after they were banned in the US. Women in banana communities continue to give birth to deformed babies because they came into contact with DBCP and other toxic chemicals in the course of their work.

To add insult to injury, Dole is now alleging that some of the banana workers and their legitimate trade union organisations in Nicaragua are lying about their health problems and the link with the chemical. Together with male colleagues, women banana workers are calling Dole to drop this legal case as well as to accept responsibility for the high price workers have paid for the use of DBCP.

Over the last three weeks, thousands of affected women and men have walked over 100 miles from the north western province of Chinandega to the capital, Managua, to highlight their plight to the 'powers that be'.

Women who believe that they have been affected by the pesticide have had particular problems proving the link between their handling of the product and their subsequent health problems.

Several groups of survivors are still camped outside the Nicaraguan Parliament in their efforts to get their government to force the companies responsible to finally pay up compensation ordered by Nicaraguan courts.

Nicaraguan trade unions have launched an appeal this International Women's Day - 8 March - for banana consumers and all concerned people around the world to write to Dole Food demanding that they comply with the judgement of the Nicaraguan court and drop their counterclaim.

Please write to Dole demanding that they comply with the judgement of the Nicaraguan court and drop their counterclaim.

Please copies any action letters and responses to Banana Link.