Global Labor Justice accuses company of historic violations and being in breach of international conventions on labour rights
Washington DC-based Global Labor Justice has called on multinational fruit company Chiquita to return to Panama and reinstate around 6,500 workers who were dismissed from their jobs in late May and early June amid dispute over pension reforms.
In a statement, the NGO said it stood “in solidarity with thousands of Chiquita Banana farmworkers”, who have been on strike since the end of April to demand protection of their retirement benefits, freedom of association, and other labour rights.
It also said it joined with workers’ unions – including Sintraibana, Sitrpabi, Closiba, and IUF – in decrying what it referred to as Chiquita’s “retaliatory” firing of striking workers.
“We call on the company to cease discriminating against workers for their courageous actions in defence of their fundamental labour rights,” it said, pointing to a framework agreement that Chiquita signed with IUF and Colsiba back in 2001.
It also cited ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which it said protected workers’ rights to freedom of association, collective action (including strikes), and collective bargaining.
“We call on Chiquita to immediately reinstate fired workers and engage in good faith dialogue with the union to reach a mutual agreement on the union’s demands,” it continued. “Chiquita should do everything in its power to prevent any violence against striking workers and to promote a safe and peaceful environment for good faith negotiations.”
It added: “We also call on Chiquita to… cease all threats of shuttering farms or leaving Panama in retaliation for the strike. Such threats are in violation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, which require businesses to respect trade union rights and prohibit anti-union discrimination, reprisals against workers and unions for legitimate union activity, including protesting poor company practices, as well as require companies to undertake responsible exit.
“Chiquita, which has a long history of violating workers’ human and labour rights in the region, should do everything in its power to turn the page on the past and put workers’ well-being front and centre.”
