Masked gunmen murdered Guatemalan union leader Marco Tulio Ramirez Portela early in the morning of September 23 as he was leaving his home for work. Marco Tulio was secretary of sports and culture of the banana workers union SITRABI, which organizes Del Monte workers. His brother, Noé Antonio Ramírez Portela, is the union general secretary.

Tulio's murder follows a pattern of rising anti-union violence and institutional impunity in Guatemala. In July, the SITRABI headquarters was raided by uniformed soldiers using official vehicles, who demanded information on union officers and members. The union filed a full report with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Special Unit for Crimes against Unionists and Journalists.

The IUF has called on the Guatemalan government to immediately undertake a full and open investigation into this latest union assassination. You can support the struggle against immunity - click here to send a message to the authorities.

Copies of all messages will be automatically forwarded to SITRABI.

 

 

Campaign News

Guatemala: End Impunity Now!

ITUC, 1 February 2008

Yesterday saw the conclusion of the international conference on the role of trade unions in the fight against impunity, held in Guatemala City by the ITUC, its regional organisations ORIT and CLAT, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the ITUC’s Guatemalan affiliates, the CGTG and CUSG.  The event was inaugurated by the President of Guatemala, Alvaro Colom. At the close of the event, the Conference Declaration was handed over to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Edgar A. Rodriguez, for submission to the Guatemalan authorities.

The aim of the Conference was to devise and apply political and trade union strategies to promote respect for core labour standards, to build trade union capacity to fight impunity, and to secure full investigations into the murders of trade unionists, so that those responsible are brought to justice and sentenced as soon as possible.
 
Guatemala is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for trade unionists; a fact confirmed just one day prior to the Conference when two armed men attacked the head office of the CGTC. The two individuals forced staff at gunpoint to open one of the offices, from which they took two computers containing valuable information. 
 
In its conclusions, the Conference emphasised the need to fully investigate the cases of Pedro Zamora, Marco Tulio Ramirez, Raúl Castro Bosel and Rosalío González Villatoro, all of whom have been killed over the last 12 months due to their activities as trade union leaders. The Conference noted its agreement with President Colom regarding the urgent need to lay solid foundations for social dialogue, as a means of generating trust between the social partners. Another priority is the need to step up labour inspections. 
 
The Conference also called on the international community to intensify political and material support for the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, promoted by the UN. Its director, Carlos Castresana, left a very strong impression on the conference delegates. 
 
Given the continuing increase in the murders of women in Guatemala and Central America at large, the trade union movement committed to prioritising the fight against “feminicide”.
 
The Conference also stressed the need to wage an international campaign in Guatemala and Central America to strengthen the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, as established in Conventions 87 and 98 of the ILO.  
 
“The fight against impunity is crucial. It is a fight that has to begin with the strengthening of the rule of law in Guatemala,” said Guy Ryder, General Secretary of the ITUC.
 
To read the declaration in full click here.

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates. Click here.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018 

 

Rel-UITA Meets with President Álvaro Colom: In Defense of Unions and Against Impunity

IUF, 29 January

The President of the Republic of Guatemala, Eng. Álvaro Colom, received a delegation formed by representatives of Rel-UITA (the Latin American division of the IUF), the Union of Banana Workers of Izabal (SITRABI), the company BANDEGUA (Del Monte), and the Trade Union Federation of Food, Agroindustry and Related Industry Workers  (FESTRAS). The delegation asked the President to intervene to solve the murder of SITRABI leader MARCO TULIO RAMIREZ, perpetrated on September 23, 2007, when he was setting off to work in a banana plantation.

Click here to read the rest of the article.