Building Solidarity Between Latin American And British Unions

Banana Link works with eight banana workers' trade unions in Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Peru as part of the ‘Union to Union’ Project. Union to Union is funded by the DFID and builds solidarity links between Latin American trade unions, at one end of the international banana supply chain, and British trade unionists, at the other, recognising the vital role that unions can play in poverty alleviation in banana exporting communities.

A ‘Race to the Bottom’ is being pursued in the banana industry, as companies seek ever ‘cheaper’ bananas, resulting in ever lowering social and environmental standards for the hundreds of thousands of workers producing the bananas sold on our supermarket shelves. In Latin America, banana workers face appalling working conditions, including wages well below the cost of living and exposure to toxic chemicals. Workers who try to join unions face repression - from daily psychological pressure to outright violence.

The majority of Union to Union funds go directly to our partners in Latin America and through this project, banana workers’ trade unions are organising and training workers on the ground, whilst lobbying for changes to labour laws, company practices and trade rules at national and international level. Banana Link and our union partners work closely with the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers (IUF) to increase the impact of solidarity activities.

Other Links

Click here to read Linking Up Each Others' Struggles article.

Click here to read the latest News From the Banana Front Union to Union bulletin.

Click here to find out how to get involved in the Union to Union programme.

For more details please contact Banana Link.