Banana plantation workers in the Dominican Republic are affiliating to the workers’ union SINTRAPBAM. Across the country, union leader Crusito Toribio and colleagues have been leading the affiliation drive in the three banana producing regions of Montecristi, Mao Valverde and Azua. The union has forged strong and innovative alliances with local businesses, NGOs and the Haitian churches to reach workers and represent their interests.
Below: a meeting with workers at the Hispañola Fresh Fruit plantation in Botoncillo
Earlier this year, union leader Crusito Toribio visited banana producing companies and their associations across the country, and supported the renewal of contracts for 350 smallholder ‘parceleros’ with producing company Global Banana. The union is keen to work with business to find solutions to the problems that have affected the industry in recent years, which has seen a significant downturn in production levels.
The union is a close partner of the Fundacion Etnica Integral, a Dominican non-profit with over 20 years of experience working with migrant workers and their families. It has also forged close ties with local NGO the Socio-Cultural Movement for Workers of Haitian Origin (MOSCTHA) who run mobile health clinics, and the Congregation of Pastors of the Haitian Church, whose support has been indispensable in enabling the union to engage with the large portion of the workforce who are of Haitian origin.
The union has benefited from the Dominican government’s ‘Comunidad Segura’ program, which has provided the funding to appoint two community managers to support the union consolidation.
Over the last two years, the union has rolled-out a series of training and capacity building programmes across the country. Women’s empowerment has been a central theme of recent training work. More training is planned for later this year.
Below (3): Union-led training sessions with women workers
Below: General Secretary Crusito Toribio with a worker on a recent farm visit
