Calvo Tuna and labor issues

In the summer of 2006, the European Union was going to eliminate El Salvador's preferred trade status because of El Salvador's failure to approve certain conventions of the International Labor Organization. It was pressure from Grupo Calvo, a Spanish company which processes tuna in El Salvador, which got El Salvador to ratify the worker protection measures and avoid loss of those trade benefits.

Raul Guttierez of IPS now reports that Grupo Calvo is flouting labor laws in El Salvador by terminating employees involved in forming a union at the plant:
Gilberto García, vice president of the Centre for Labour Studies and Support (CEAL), said Calvo's campaign for better labour laws was motivated "more by commercial considerations than concern for working conditions." The Spanish company's actions belie its words, he told IPS.

"It's a scandal that Grupo Calvo should fail to fulfil the ILO conventions, after exerting pressure in favour of their ratification," García said. Nor does the government enforce labour laws, he complained.

"The workers were dismissed while they were protected by the immunity enjoyed by union leaders, and the company knows that. They acted knowing full well that they were breaking the law," the labour adviser said.(more)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Well, I believe this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Since the very begining, it was pretty obvious that Calvo's pressure on the government was for $$$, to plunder our resources and make bigger bucks. And unions, for corporate psycopaths, are an obstacle for $$$. The sad part is, that this thing will definately go unpunished, just like with maquilas when they shut down and leave people without pay. You NEVER see the government sticking its head where it belongs: enforcing the law. Now imagine what may happen if the Canadian mafia and the mining companies had it there way? An epidemic of ill babies, diseases, water pollution, slave labour, and no government enforce. It sucks, specially when the gov. conspires in favor of transnationals, themselves are part of a law-breaking cabal (money laundery, tax evasion, etc.), so how can you be careful with these predators when the institutions that are supposed to protect you are pathetic (not only that but side with the companies, rather than with the communities)?
Anonymous said…
5 people died in the calvo plant
and again, the canadians need to leave ES now!