CAFTA's Bloodtrails

[Joanne98]

U.S. and Guatemalan Labor Unions Charge Killings and Harassment
CAFTA's Bloodtrails
By DAVID MACARAY

On Wednesday, April 23, U.S. and Guatemalan labor groups filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, changing the workers’ rights provisions of CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) are being violated. The petitioners allege that union members in Guatemala are not only being routinely harassed, threatened and intimidated, but that union leaders have been assassinated.

Since 2006, when Guatemala became a trading partner in CAFTA (whose other signatories include the U.S., Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua), eight trade unionists have been killed. The most brazen murder occurred in January, 2007, when Pedro Zamora, the charismatic president of a port union, was gunned down in front of his home by a carload of assailants in broad daylight.

Five separate complaints were filed on Wednesday, alleging violations against members of six unions affiliated with agriculture, seaport shipping and textile industries. The complaints seek punitive damages from the Guatemalan government—a remedy “guaranteed” by CAFTA’s workers’ protection language. These fines can run as high as $15 million per year. As to the prospect of the Guatemalan government actually being found guilty and having to fork over the money, no one is holding their breath.

There have been dozens of formal complaints filed by labor organizations and human rights groups since 1994 (when the first of these agreements was implemented). Not a single one has resulted in sanctions against the alleged offenders. After conducting what they described as “thorough investigations,” the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it had found no violations. None. In other words, so far, every trading partner in the world has a perfect, unblemished human rights record. What were the odds?

It’s time we asked ourselves, Which of those so-called “free trade” agreements have actually fulfilled their ambitious promises to recognize workers’ rights and protect the environment? Which countries, if any, have made an effort to live up to the ambitious, idealistic language contained in those provisions? By “live up to,” we mean provide evidence that the government is willing to vigorously prosecute businesses who are in violation.

It’s also time that we acknowledged a simple, discouraging fact: In countries where labor unions are violently opposed by government and business interests, a treaty isn’t likely to make much difference. Businesses and their government cronies will find a way to get around the wording. Consider: Have Mexican labor unions flourished under NAFTA? Have Honduran labor unions flourished under CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement)? Have Latin American workers at the bottom of the economic ladder benefited significantly from “free trade”?

In truth, whether NAFTA, CAFTA or the proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, it was a consortium of financial and manufacturing interests who initially pushed for these deals, and who did so for reasons that were not only largely incompatible with workers’ rights and environmental protection, but, in many cases, in direct contradiction to them.

http://www.counterpunch.org/macaray04282008.html