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30 January 2008: Guatemalan government pledges to follow up investigation into murdered dockers’ leader
The newly elected Guatemalan President has promised to look into the case of murdered trade unionist Pedro Zamora, who was gunned down in Puerto Quetzal last January. [ITF news Online..] [ITF Press Release..]
28 January 2008: ITF to meet with Guatemalan President on Zamora murder
Officials from global union federation the ITF will meet with the newly elected President of Guatemala tomorrow (Tuesday) in the country’s capital to enlist his help in prosecuting the killers of trade union leader Pedro Zamora and protecting Zamora’s threatened colleagues. [ITF Press Releases..]
1 September: Fears for STEPQ leaders' safety as tension grows
Leaders of the STEPQ union are under increasing pressure as fears grow for their safety.
General Secretary Lázaro Reyes is being watched by men on motorbikes who wait outside his house, and has police protection.
Union leaders also continue to receive death threats.
The situation for STEPQ in Puerto Quetzal is increasingly tense - for different reasons.
Firstly, Guatemala's national elections are due on 9th September. Local observers say this is important because the current administration wants to push through its plans for a new private port terminal before it loses power. These plans are currently the subject of a feasibility study.
Secondly, annual collective bargaining has come to a standstill, with port managers refusing to talk to STEPQ, seemingly because of the union's opposition to the port privatisation plans.
It is clear that pressure is on STEPQ to renounce its position. The union remains resolute - although it stresses it is not against modernisation via a transparent process. There is strong support for the union's position in the local community.
Meanwhile, international attention must be retained - to increase pressure on the investigation to find those responsible for the murder of Pedro Zamora, and to support STEPQ's threatened union leaders.
30 August: ITF unions to focus on Guatemalan exports
The ITF has asked affiliated unions to visit ships and facilities served by Puerto Quetzal, as part of an information campaign.
ITF unions in several countries have been provided with data on Guatemalan exports.
Ship visits have been carried out on the US East Coast and preparations are underway for vessels to be visited in the Gulf of Mexico and on the US West Coast.
A sugar refinery in Canada has also been approached; in the port of Vancouver, ILWU representatives have distributed campaign posters, bulletins and badges to union workers at Rogers Sugar, and have informed managers of their concerns.
15 August: New mission presses investigators
A second ITF and ITUC-led international mission arrived in Guatemala on Monday 23 July; its task: to pressure employers and government to identify the murderers of Pedro Zamora.
The group included senior officials, trade unionists and activists from Denmark, the US, and Spain, representatives from the ITF, ITUC, ITUC-ORIT and the food workers' international IUF, as well as from Guatemalan organisations.
In Puerto Quetzal, the delegation met with STEPQ and its members in Puerto Quetzal, with the General Manager of the port Eduardo Garrido and with local police.
Mission members discussed contract negotiations with the union and management, and proposed to Garrido that the company enter into immediate talks.
At the police station, it emerged that the local police captain has changed since the assassination.
During their visit to Guatemala City, the international representatives met with politicians and with the interior ministry, as well as with human rights organisations.
They were able to brief the banana company Chiquita about the issue.
Press conferences took place in both locations.
Assistant General Secretary Stuart Howard commented that the delegation visit had served to remind the authorities that the case could not be swept under the carpet. "We believe our July visit may help the investigation to be taken seriously. This would be almost without precedent in Guatemala," he said.
During the mission, representatives of the ILWU delivered a resolution from the City of Los Angeles condemning the failure to find Pedro's killers and presented the City's posthumous award to Pedro Zamora (see below).
15 August: Los Angeles honours Zamora
An important honour has been awarded to Pedro Zamora by the City of Los Angeles.
The US city's government has condemned the killing and given a posthumous award to Pedro Zamora. In the resolution, the city recognised that its port handles goods from Guatemala and called for justice.
Joseph Radisich, International Vice-President of the ILWU, Joe Cabrales, the union's Northern California area director, and Conrad Spell, President of ILWU local 23, represented the International Longshore and Warehouse Union on the July mission to Guatemala.
"The strategy of your union is right," said Radisich at a rally of Puerto Quetzal's workers. "The solidarity of the ILWU is behind you."
10 August: Second Mission to Guatemala concerned for union leaders' safety
1 August: European Politicians demand answers
Political lobbying in the Zamora campaign has led to questions being asked in Europe.
Irish Member of the European Parliament, Gay Mitchell, asked the Commission in March what action has been taken to ensure that the Guatemalan government fully investigates Pedro Zamora's murder and the threats to other leaders.
"EU Heads of Missions have expressed concern to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Attorney General, ... and called for a full inquiry as well as prosecution of the culprit" Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations, responded in May.
In the British Parliament, Mike Hancock MP asked on 26 July what recent representations his government had made to Guatemala on the safety of trade unionists.
"Our embassy in Guatemala City lobbied the government in conjunction with our EU partners on 20th February and bilaterally on 16 May, to carry our a full investigation into the death of Pedro Zamora", responded Meg Munn, who is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
20 July: Delegation takes to Zamora investigation to murder site
5 July: Follow-up mission to Guatemala to press for progress in Zamora case
21 June: New port terminal stalled in Guatemala
30 May: Anti-union repression on European Parliament agenda
STEPQ is represented at a European conference looking at Guatemala's human rights record
20 March: Dockers give global backing to Guatemala fight
Representatives from around 50 port unions worldwide meeting in Sorrento, Italy enthusiastically backed the Pedro Zamora campaign yesterday, after hearing from threatened STEPQ board member Oscar Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, together with other STEPQ board members and their families, has himself been issued with death threats since the union’s general secretary Pedro Zamora was murdered on 15 January in a violent attack that was directly linked to the union’s opposition to port privatisation.
There have been 15,000 murders in Guatemala in the last three years – with very few perpetrators ever being punished, Gonzalez explained. The victims are not just trade unionists – they are peasants’ leaders, human rights workers – anyone, in fact, who wants the war-torn country to change.
A peace accord signed ten years ago to end four decades of civil war has never been properly fulfilled, said Gonzalez. Meanwhile, the government wanted to profit from selling off state-owned resources, and capital was benefiting from international trade treaties.
The ITF-ETF visit to the European Parliament, and the resulting resolution which called for Guatemala’s government to assume responsibility for human rights, adopt transparency in its justice system and guarantee the physical safety of trade unionists and other “was no bullet-proof vest”, said Gonzalez.
However, EU support was a boost, and STEPQ was determined to continue the fight. “We have broken hearts – but we go forward with courage, ideas and with the support of all of you” he told dockers’ delegates.
The meeting promised strong backing for the campaign, signing a Solidarity Declaration and approving two resolutions that are geared to build political lobbying of the Guatemalan regime and extend the campaign to all ITF transport sections. Specifically, a proposal put forward by Spanish unions UGT and CC.OO, called on ITF unions to ensure that development cooperation funding from their governments to Guatemala includes strong human and trade union rights provision.
“If ever there was a time to implement the slogan of ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ it is now ” commented Paddy Crumlin, MUA, dockers’ section chair. “Dockers worldwide will stand behind STEPQ in the fight for justice for Pedro and for Quetzal port workers’ trade union rights.” See also news online
19 March: Death threat trade unionist arrives in Italy. See press release
19 March: ITF unions in Panama in show of solidarity
ITF affiliates from Panama's transport sectors joined in a show of solidarity with Guatemala's trade unionists on 15 March, by demonstrating outside the Guatemalan embassy in Panama City.
The picket drew strong support and media attention. Representatives handed over a letter of addressed to President Berger to the Guatemalan Consul, demanding justice and a proper investigation.
16 March: European visit gets results
A European Parliament resolution condemning Guatemala's human rights record and making specific mention of Pedro Zamora's case was approved yesterday, following the the visit by an ITF delegation to Strasbourg. The text of the resolution is available; for more news, see News Online.
12 March: Delegation to visit MEPs, Brussels, Madrid
A high-level lobbying initiative starts today with the visit of Oscar Giovanni Donado, one of STEPQ’s threatened leaders, to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, to Brussels and to Madrid. ITF regional secretary Antonio Fritz accompanies Oscar.
Supported by representatives of ITF’s European sister organisation, the European Transport Workers’ Federation, the trade unionists will meet with Members of the European Parliament and the media to highlight the need for the EU to monitor the trade union rights situation in Guatemala, and to demand accountability from the government for the funding that it receives from the European Union. They will also ask the EU to clarify the role of the European Investment Bank, if any, in providing loans to the Central American Bank for Economic Integration for Guatemalan port privatisation. The Socialist Group of the European Parliament is supporting the event.
Travelling to Brussels on the 14th March, the trade unionists will attend a summit with the International Trade Union Confederation’s General Secretary Guy Ryder, and give media briefings. They will also meet with the European Commission’s Foreign Relations Desk for Guatemala.
The delegation will then move on to Madrid, where ITF affiliates have arranged events with media and politicians, and then on to Sorrento in Italy, to join a gathering of the ITF Dockers’ Section. See also press release.
12 March: US Congressman joins campaign
US Congressman George Miller, a Democrat from California, has sponsored a sign-on letter which was sent on 7th March to all other United States Congressional offices for signature.
Calling for international condemnation of Pedro Zamora’s assassination, for protection of STEPQ leaders and for trade union rights, Millers’ letter states that: “many of the critics of the CAFTA agreement were concerned that businesses in Central America would compete for foreign investment and jobs because of relatively low wages and violations of workers' right to organize. Regrettably, the labor rights regulations in Chapter 16 of the agreement simply require governments to implement their existing labor laws with no recourse to address broader human and labor rights violations. The threats against Mr. Zamora would constitute one such violation. His killing, if connected to his labor activity, constitutes another.”
12 March: Port Company advances privatisation plans
The Puerto Quetzal port company decided this week to press ahead with the creation of a financial mechanism to allow it to source loans for private port development without the prior agreement of Guatemala’s parliament.
The company has taken the decision to create a trust fund that would then seek a US$100 million loan to build a new terminal at Puerto Quetzal – essentially mortgaging the ports’ land and assets.
This formula allows the company to circumvent the political go-ahead that would normally be required from the Congress, which is judged to be opposed to such a move.
The ITF’s affiliate STEPQ has been fighting for consultation in the port privatisation process since last year – a fact that is strongly linked to Pedro Zamora’s death.
STEPQ is preparing protest actions over this latest move, including rallies and leafleting.
1/3/07: World Bank to push consultation with STEPQ
The World Bank has said it supports the principle of consultation with STEPQ, the Guatemalan port union whose leader was murdered in the aftermath of a dispute over port privatisation.
Representatives from STEPQ, the ITF's affiliate in Puerto Quetzal met on 21st February with the World Bank country manager for Guatemala, Neeta Sirur.
The World Bank team recognised there were benefits in involving the union, which represents the majority of Puerto Quetzal workers, in any future talks on restructuring.
Sirur will raise the issue with the Guatemalan authorities, including the Finance Ministry, which participates in the port's board of directors.
Modernisation of the port is a condition of the World Bank's current loans to Guatemala.
1/3/07: Puerto Santo Tomas sees wage rises
In a separate development, port unions in Guatemala's Puerto Santo Tomas have seen their first wage increase in 14 years.
The port workers' four different organisations had in the past faced difficulties in getting recognition from managers - who claimed there was no majority union.
Recently, and with the support of other ITF-affiliated unions, the four have been working closely together. Following the international trade union mission to Guatemala, port managers agreed to meet them. This resulted in a negotiated wage rise.
"I put this down as another win for the Mission to Guatemala and Guatemalan trade unionism" said Arturo Thramppe, the ITF's country coordinator.
1/3/07: Central American bank will not fund rights violations: see news story
20/2/07: Donations from ITF affiliates received
The ITF has received donations for Pedro's family from several ITF unions, including affiliates in Mauritius, Francophone Africa, France and Nordic countries. Unions wishing to make a contribution should contact the ITF directly.
16/2/07: Nine dismissed port workers whose jobs Zamora was defending, are reinstated
See press release in English and Spanish
8/2/07: Politicians insist STEPQ Union members must be reinstated
A group of Guatemalan parliamentarians have told Rodolfo Neutze, President of the Board of Directors of Quetzal Port, that nine STEPQ members dismissed in the autumn, must be reinstated.
The challenge was laid down at a meeting on 7 February, between the ITF’s union in Puerto Quetzal, STEP-Q, parliamentary representatives, the port’s Board of Directors, and representatives from Guatemala’s Ministry of Communications.
Parliamentary representatives gave Neutze eight days to reinstate the trade unionists – assuring him that if this was not done, they would present the case to Guatemala’s Congress, and oblige him to act.
Neutze continues to refuse the reinstatements on the grounds that the men took illegal strike action.
A number of the participants stressed that this case was receiving international attention, which is damaging to the country.
26/1/07: Delegation flies to Guatemala in search of justice: see news story
30/1/07 Zamora campaign snowballs: The campaign for justice meets with immediate support: see news story
Latest online news and the report of the Guatemala mission are now available! (see below)
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