The Coordinating Body of Latin American Banana and Agro-industrial Unions (COLSIBA) has issued an international statement responding to allegations of labour irregularities on plantations supplying Chiquita in southern Guatemala.
The allegations were contained in a recent report by Swiss NGO Public Eye which included claims that workers were subject to long hours, low pay and exposure to hazardous chemicals, while they can only get through their working day with a cocktail of medication.
A 2021 report by the Center for Global Workers Rights at Penn State University, has previously highlighted a stark difference in pay and working conditions for unionised banana workers in the north of Guatemala and non-unionised workers in the south of the country.
We reproduce below an English translation of the International Statement issued by COLSIBA on 15 September 2026:
CALLING FOR RESPECT FOR LABOUR AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS IN THE BANANA SUPPLY CHAINS
COLSIBA, as a forum for coordination, organisation and representation of trade union organisations in the banana and agribusiness sectors in Latin America, expresses its deep concern at the allegations contained in the investigation carried out by Public Eye into alleged labour irregularities on plantations supplying Chiquita in southern Guatemala.
The allegations concerning long working hours, wages below the statutory minimum, workers’ exposure to aerial pesticide spraying and infringements of freedom of association cannot be ignored, downplayed or treated as isolated incidents. These are issues that undermine fundamental rights and which must be investigated and addressed with seriousness, transparency, accountability and the effective participation of trade union organisations.
COLSIBA clearly reaffirms that the competitiveness, profitability and sustainability of the global banana supply chain cannot be built on exploitation, precarious working conditions or at the expense of the dignity, health, safety and fundamental rights of workers.
Consequently, COLSIBA DEMANDS:
- Unrestricted respect for trade union freedom and the right of association, without threats, intimidation, discrimination, reprisals, harassment or the risk of dismissal for exercising trade union rights.
- Full compliance with national labour legislation and international labour standards, guaranteeing decent working conditions in all companies and plantations that form part of the value chain.
- Respect for the maximum legal working hours, as well as the timely and fair payment of wages and all applicable benefits, guaranteeing wages that enable a decent standard of living for workers and their families.
- The guarantee of safe and healthy working conditions, with particular attention to the risks arising from the use and handling of pesticides and aerial spraying, effectively protecting the health and lives of workers and communities.
- The implementation of effective mechanisms for prevention, protection, information, consultation, participation, monitoring and verification, with the genuine involvement of trade union organisations, enabling the timely identification and rectification of any non-compliance.
- That commitments to due diligence and corporate responsibility in supply chains translate into concrete, verifiable, transparent and sustainable measures, and are not reduced to mere statements, codes of conduct or purely formal commitments.
COLSIBA strongly calls on Chiquita, its suppliers and all stakeholders in the value chain — producers, transnational corporations, buyers and distributors — to fully assume their responsibility for ensuring decent work, living wages, health and safety at work, and effective respect for labour and trade union rights.
Responsibility within a global supply chain cannot be diluted or shifted exclusively onto workers and producers. All companies that benefit from banana production and marketing have an obligation to ensure that their operations and commercial relationships respect human and labour rights.
In this context, COLSIBA reaffirms its commitment to continuing to work, through trade union organisation and action, and within the framework of the IUF–Chiquita–COLSIBA agreement and through existing forums for dialogue, to strengthen these mechanisms and achieve effective, concrete and verifiable solutions that guarantee respect for the rights of workers throughout the banana value chain.
At the same time, COLSIBA makes it clear that social dialogue will only be legitimate and effective if it is accompanied by genuine commitment, transparency, trade union participation and verifiable results. We will not accept the defence of labour and trade union rights being subordinated to economic or commercial interests.
Banana workers are not a production cost: they are the ones who make this value chain possible.
15 September 2026
