Trade unionists have faced considerable difficulty and dangers, trying to protect their members’ interests in a region and an industry, which has a history of union busting and violation of workers’ rights. Faced with powerful corporations, which operate across national boundaries, unions have themselves sought solidarity with fellow banana workers across the region.

COLSIBA (Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Sindicatos Bananeros) is the Coordination of Latin American Banana Workers' Unions which represents some 40 trade unions in 8 countries.  It was set up in May 1993 in order to respond better to the multiple challenges facing banana plantation workers across the world’s main exporting region.  COLSIBA is currently coordinated by COSIBAH, Honduras, but also represents trade unions in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, Colombia and Ecuador.

COLSIBA does not substitute for union organising, negotiating and campaigning activities by its members in individual countries, but rather seeks to develop a regional perspective, especially when dealing with the major multinational companies employing the vast majority of their members.

COLSIBA issues regular denunciations of violations of workers’ rights in its member organisations, as well as coordinating a programme of training activities.  A Women’s Secretariat - also based in Honduras - is very active in highlighting problems facing women and has its own education and training programmes.  COLSIBA also takes positions on issues like the European banana import regime, and was the initiator and co-organiser of the International Banana Conferences in 1998 and 2005.

In July 1999, as part of an international campaign, COLSIBA presented a proposal for a Latin American Workers’ Rights and Environment Agreement to Chiquita. Chiquita had promised to consider the proposal seriously, but their response was initially negative . However, following negotiations in spring 2001, an Framework Agreement was formally signed between COLSIBA, IUF and Chiquita on14th June 2001 in the presence of the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva.

A regional meeting of women banana workers in Honduras in March 2004 led to the adoption of a new Regional Women Banana Workers’ Agenda. At COLSIBA’s 8th delegate conference held in August 2005 a new set of resolutions for action in the region were drawn up. 

COLSIBA works closely with organisations in banana consuming countries particularly in Europe and North America:

•  EUROBAN, the European Banana Action Network, is a loose grouping of over 30 European NGOs and trade unions in 12 countries, who work together on workers' and environmental rights, for a reform of the European banana import regime and on fair trade bananas. Members include alternative trading organisations who market fair trade bananas, national and international unions, and development and campaigning organisations. Contact Euroban

•  IUF is the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Association. The IUF has its International Secretariat in Geneva and Regional Secretariats in every continent. It represents 334 trade unions in 120 countries, with an affiliated membership of 2.5 million members. Many of the banana workers' unions are affiliated to the IUF.

•  US/LEAP,  the US Labor Education in the Americas Project, is a not-for-profit organisation doing educational and advocacy work on Latin American labour issues in the USA. They have offices in Chicago and Central America. US/LEAP was previously known as the US/Guatemala Labor Education Project - the change of name goes with the broadening of the work.

For more information about the working conditions in banana plantations see the Reality for workers pages on this website

Further Reading

Linking Up Each Others' Struggles. International Union Rights Vol. 13 Issue 24 (2007). 

Growing In Unity: Against All The Odds, The Unions In Latin America's Banana Plantations Are Showing What 'Sustainable Development' Might Really Mean. Article by Alistair Smith in the New Internationalist magazine.

The Real Wage Situation Of Male And Female Workers In Eleven Banana Plantations In Costa Rica, In Comparison To A 'Sustainable Living Wage, ASEPROLA for Banana Link and The Cooperative Group, November 2004.

From Principles To Practice: The Challenge Ahead – Increasing Ratficiation But Problems Remain In The Exercise Of Rights, extract from ILO Director General's Report on Implementation of Conventions, Geneva, 2004

The Puchasing Power Index And The Sustainable Living Wage, Center for Reflecton, Education and Action Inc., Washington, 2003

Banana Workers Bulletin 'Towards Respect For Global Union Rights' from the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF).

Resolutions of the 10th COLSIBA Conference, held in Peru, August 2009.

Websites

FENACLE (Spanish only)

COLSIBA: Coordination Of Latin American Banana Workers' Unions

SINTRAINAGRO - Colombian Workers' Union

IUF: International Union Of Food Workers

US/LEAP: United States Labor In The Americas Project