Workers Take Over Factory, Government Complicit in not Upholding Basic Labor Rights

Workers at the Evergreen Maquila in San Salvador began an occupation of their factory two weeks ago, when they were “suspended” by management. They are demanding severance pay, healthcare and other benefits. Representatives of the workers, some of whom have worked at Evergreen for 14 years, say that “suspension” is a legal euphemism that allows companies to cut and run without honoring workers’ rights. Company representatives claim that the suspension is temporary, due to a lack of materials. Workers allege, however, that the company transferred more than 300 industrial-style sewing machines to another nearby maquila.

Last week the workers took over the highway in front of the maquila to denounce the violation of their labor rights and the removal of factory machinery. The workers, many of whom are single mothers, say they are feeling “desesperadas” (pressed) since the Ministry of Labor has been dragging its feet in the investigation and government offices will soon close for a two week Christmas holiday. Instead of acting to protect worker rights, governmental authorities have thus far turned their backs on the workers, telling them to look elsewhere for work. In a meeting with CISPES representatives, one worker asked, “If these types of things happen now – and they happen regularly in maquilas – what can workers expect when CAFTA goes into effect in January?”

Labor rights violations in El Salvador are already rampant, and the government has demonstrated its incapacity and lack of political will to promote the respect for labor rights or enforce them. CAFTA “calls” on countries to enforce their own weak labor laws, but it has a toothless mechanism for enforcing that supposed responsibility. Therefore, it is likely that labor rights violations like these will increase once CAFTA goes into effect and more maquilas zones start operating in the country.

ARENA uses government institutions to undermine FMLN’s candidates for March elections

As elections near, ARENA’s smear campaign against the FMLN intensifies. On Friday November 25, the Corte de Cuentas (National Accounting Court) of El Salvador, ordered 16 current and former FMLN mayors to pay $3.7 million dollars due to alleged financial irregularities in San Salvador’s garbage collection company, MIDES. The ruling is meant to threaten the re-election bids of many FMLN candidates in the March 2006 elections. The anti-MIDES ruling by the governmental National Accounting Court demonstrates ARENA’s capacity to utilize government institutions to “legitimize” their political attacks on the FMLN as March 2006 municipal and legislative elections near. The mayors are appealing the ruling. “It is eminently a political-electoral measure and we condemn it,” the mayors expressed in a communiqué.

The threat of the MIDES ruling is that the right wing is trying to use it to prevent FMLN mayors from running as candidates in the coming March elections. ARENA leaders are arguing that with this ruling against the FMLN mayors, and despite the favorable appeal, they shouldn’t be allowed to sign up as candidates. Although denying FMLN candidates ballot access because of trumped up charges would mean further undermining the democratic process in El Salvador, in the current political climate it is possible that right-wing parties could use their positions within the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to do so. “We denounce this political strike against the FMLN party, that attempts to hit the municipal candidacies”, Medardo Gonzalez, FMLN coordinator stated.

The MIDES waste disposal company was formed in 1997 by a council of San Salvador mayors to solve San Salvador’s waste disposal problems. MIDES provides an integrated waste disposal system, including collection, recycling and treatment and is recognized as a major accomplishment of FMLN governance.

http://www.cispes.org/english/Updates_and_Analysis/index.html