COLSIBA Promotes Labor Rights with Tenth Conference in Sullana, Peru; Honduran Offices Under Threat

Members of all of the affiliate unions met August 4-8, 2009 to reaffirm the driving mission of the Latin American Banana and Agroindustrial Union Coordinator (COLSIBA) and to define the new lines of actions for the next two years. The first two days of meeting were held by the Women´s Coordinating body and resulted in a series of resolutions to promote gender equality in the workplace. The following meetings focused on strategizing to confront the realities currently affecting these unions including the Coup in Honduras, Fair Trade certifications, violence against unionists in Guatemala and Colombia, issues facing migrants that work in these sectors, among others. Additionally, COLSIBA elected a new leadership board to guide the next two years of work coordinating campaigns throughout Latin America to promote respect for workers in the banana sector and the agro-industrial sector as a whole.

This leadership team will represent COLSIBA in a multi-actor forum to be held in Rome, Italy this coming December in order to negotiate solutions to the issues of respect for labor rights and specifically the right to organize and collectively negotiate, the use of chemicals in workspaces, and the contracting of more women.

"The tenth COLSIBA conference demonstrated the organizing strength of this body and its energy to continue working for workers rights throughout the banana sector and the agro-industrial sector,” stated USLEAP Regional Coordinator, Suzanna Collerd, who attended the conference, “their work continues to be innovative and impressive."

However, given the recent increase in violence and repression against civilians following the June 28 coup in Honduras, the Coalition of Honduran Banana Unions is very worried about an imminent attack on the office and on COSIBAH staffers in the city of La Lima. According to sources on the ground, beginning August 15 people in unknown cars were driving by and taking lots of pictures and videos of the office and its surroundings. There have been large anti-coup demonstrations in La Lima on a regular basis, with COLSIBAH being at the forefront of the resistance.

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