On Tuesday LAN Ecuador, part of the LATAM Holding Group, sacked Jimena López from her job as a member of cabin crew. She is the general secretary and founder of the SITA (Sindicato de Trabajadores de Aerolane) trade union.
Gabriel Mocho, secretary of the ITF civil aviation section, commented: “This latest unfair sacking appears to be nakedly political. We believe that it is an attempt by the local subsidiary of LATAM Holding Group to harass or even destroy this trade union – potentially in breach of national legislation. We expect the LATAM Holding Group to resolve this situation and the Ecuadorian labour authorities to react accordingly.
“Since its foundation SITA has been a member of the ITF and Jimena is a valued and respected member of both organisations, well known for defending labour and women’s rights. The ITF has organised a network that brings together unions representing LATAM workers in all different countries, who have expressed their deepest concerns that once again LATAM might start attacking its workers and their unions – something we had believed was in the past. ITF affiliates have been meeting in order to plan actions to support Jimena and fight back against any anti-union moves by LAN and TAM in Ecuador and across the region.”
ENDS
For more details contact:
In Brazil: Antonio Rodríguez Fritz, ITF Americas regional secretary. Tel: +55 21 2223 0410. Email: Fritz_Antonio@itf.org.uk
In the UK: Sam Dawson, press and editorial manager. Tel: +44 (0)20 7940 9260. Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk
