Support Guatemalan Union Leaders Imprisoned for Collective Bargaining!

Two union leaders in Guatemala were arrested, and remain under house arrest, simply for negotiating a collective agreement for their members. Support them by signing on HERE. 

We are call for an end to the persecution of the National Union of Health Workers of Guatemala (SNTSG), and support the international solidarity campaign launched by them in conjunction with Public Services Internacional (PSI), and LabourStart.org

The following recommendation was also adopted at our February regular meeting: 

Subject: Persecution of Healthcare Workers in Guatemala

BECAUSE Luis Alpirez Guzman, General Secretary of National Union of Heathcare Workers of Guatemala (SNTSG), and Dora Regina Ruano of the same union were held for almost ten days by the Guatemalan government for negotiating a collective agreement in 2013 with the national Ministry of Health; and

BECAUSE the Ministry then indicated that it could not fund the compensation improvements negotiated in the Agreement; and

BECAUSE the government of President Jimmy Morales considers this “an abuse of power” by these trade unionists and while released from Jail the leaders remain under house arrest; and

BECAUSE this is just one of the more recent examples of the Morales government persecuting trade unionists, journalists, activists and community leader,

THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL call on Morales government to stop these abuses; free the SNTSG members from house arrest and cease any further persecution against unionists, journalists, and community activists; and

THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL send a letter of support to the SNTSG in their fight for justice in Guatemala.