Plantation workers are often effectively denied the right to freely organise into trade unions.  Dismissal for organising union activity or even just joining a union is common.  Workers are often afraid to stand up for their rights in case they are fired particularly as there may little other alternative employment in the region and in most banana exporting countries, no state financial support is available for unemployed people. Union members in Costa Rica are systematically “black-listed” and unable to get work on any banana plantation. Companies promote the solidarismo movement - a federation of self-financed pro-management workers' associations - to undermine independent trade union organisation. In contrast to negotiations between a union and employers, the solidarista associations do not engage the company on core issues such as wages and working conditiosn; nor do they atempt to address grevances or defend individual or collective workers' rights. The International Labour Organisation (see below) has specifically ruled that solidarista associations do not meet the requirements of 'free association.'

In countries like Colombia, where civil war is rampant, banana union members can also be at risk of their lives. In Ecuador, in May 2002, Alvaro Noboa, the owner of the biggest banana company in the country, sent hundreds of armed men to stop a peaceful strike by 800 workers that had recently formed a trade union, injuring 19.  There are still occasional cases of violent repression there today (visit Ecuador section).

The governments of most banana producing countries have ratified ‘International Labour Organisation’ standards in their national laws giving workers a number of rights, including the freedom to join an independent trade union, but these laws are often poorly or not enforced or are ignored by the powerful banana companies.
  
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Core Labour Standards

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a United Nations structure with 171 member states. Governments, employers and trade unions participate in its work. More than 140 countries meeting at the ILO in 1998 re-affirmed their commitment to core labour standards. Core labour standards are rights which all workers should enjoy by virtue of being human beings. The eight core ILO conventions include:

Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour;

the effective abolition of child labour;

the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment .
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Unfortunately, many of these rights are not respected in many parts of the world, resulting in gross injustices against vulnerable people. Respect for core labour standards does not imply uniform labour conditions across developed and developing states which would be fiercely opposed by developing states seeking to operate in an increasingly competitive market.  The standards are a minimal level below which no one should sink. They represent a belief that globalisation must work for the whole society, and that governments should not compete away the basic rights of their workers, to encourage companies to relocate and invest in their countries.

The British government recognises the key role that trade unions have to play in alleviating poverty and through the Department for International Development fund Banana Link’s Union to Union project support the capacity building of Latin American banana workers trade unions.

Visit Trade Union Movement to more about the work of Latin American trade unions to organize banana workers and improve living and working conditions.

Read the:

COLSIBA (Latin American Regional Coordination of Banan Workers Unions) 2005 Conference resolutions

COLSIBA Regional Women Banana Worker's Agenda

Further Reading

Solidarismo leaflet summary - full A4 version is available from Banana Link.

Read the testimony of Carlos Arguedas - imprisoned 22 times for trade union activity.

Other Banana Link Resources: 

Los Alamos "I don't like unions. I will fight them"

A short film telling the story of what happened to banana workers on the Los Alamos plantation in Ecuador when workers decided to organise and strike to gain basic labour rights. This unique eyewitness account of the strike and the response of the plantation owner, Ecuador's richest man. Running time 9 mins. Available in DVD or VHS format. English/Spanish.
Available from Banana Link (£5 plus p&p).

Bonita: Ugly Bananas

A documentary version of the Los Alamos story. Suitable for all audiences interested in human and labour rights. Running time 23 mins. Available in DVD or VHS format in English/Spanish.
Available from Greengold (£10 plus p&p).

Fenacle: Our History

This 55 slide presentation shows the history of FENACLE, explaining the main issues faced by agro-industrial workers, peasants and indigenous peoples in Ecuador.  It outlines FENACLE's strategy for defending labour rights, looking at the achievements and challenges of worker organisation in Ecuador.

Fenacle: Union to Union 2006

This 19 slide presentation shows the realities of worker organisation in Ecuador.  It looks at the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of FENACLE in their fight for improvements in working conditions and respect of labour rights.

These two presentations are available on CD-ROM from info@bananalink.org.uk (free).