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Trade Unions in Nicaragua
The briefing which follows was written in 2005.
Information gathered by the 2008 youth unionists delegation can be found
on this
link >>
You can also go to our 2004
Trade Union Delegation report
>>
which includes further valuable information.
The situation in
Nicaragua (2005)
 “
Today, more than ever, there is a need to develop and increase
solidarity…For many years now neo-liberal governments, driven by the
economic interests of the North, have been destroying our trade unions,
violating human rights and, as a result, dominating our people. ”
Domingo Pérez, General Secretary, Public Services Union (UNE)
Photo: UNE Nacional
Since 1990 right wing governments in Nicaragua have implemented policies
which benefit capital rather than the majority of people; these include
International Monetary Fund (IMF) prescriptions of privatisation, public
service cuts and huge debt repayments. Trade unionists have to live and work
under severe constraints:
* 70% of the population live in poverty (figures
vary widely)
* a third of the economically active population are unemployed
(ditto)
* low salaries only cover a quarter of the cost of basic needs.
* a right-wing government under pressure from the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank is privatising public services resulting
in job losses, casualisation of labour and high user costs.
* impending ‘free trade’ agreements with the US that will open up
Central America to foreign companies and turn the region into a ‘free trade
zone’ where profits will come before workers’ rights.
The following unions are covered in this briefing:
FNT
: National Federation of Workers
fnt@fnt.org.ni
www.fnt.org.ni
FETSALUD
: Health Workers Union
fnt@fnt.org.ni
www.fnt.org.ni
ANDEN
: Teachers Union anden@guegue.com.ni
ATC : Agricultural Workers Union
atcnic@ibw.com.ni
CST
: Industrial and Manufacturing Services Union including Construction
workers & the Free Trade Zones.
UNE : Public Sector Union
cocentrafemenino@xerox.com.ni
FESC : Communication Workers
fschmidt@tmx.com.ni
Informal Sector Union
FNT : National Federation of Workers fnt@fnt.org.ni
www.fnt.org.ni
Our partner unions in Nicaragua are all affiliated to the Federación
Nacionál de Trabajadores or the National Workers Federation.
The FNT was formed in 1990, after the election of the Chamorro government,
with the initial purpose of being a political body which would give a voice
to workers on a national level. It operates as a national federation and
includes the main ‘Sandinista’ trade unions.
Seven different unions are affiliated to the FNT, representing workers in
health, education (including higher education) the public sector/civil
service, industry and manufacturing, agriculture, and now the informal
sector. This structure is replicated at local and regional level. Whilst it
is still primarily a political body, since 1997 it has been more involved in
organising activities.
The FNT is facing many challenges. Structural adjustment policies have led
to drastic cuts in social spending and the privatisation of previously
public services such as energy, communications and now water. The potential
ratification of the Central America Free Trade Agreement is likely to
adversely affect small farmers and agricultural workers and further reduce
the rights of workers whilst increasing the rights and influence of transnational companies. They face a weak and divided civil society, where
many Nicaraguans distrust both political parties and social movements, and
high levels of corruption at national level.
Current priorities for the FNT include; the development of
new unions in areas not currently organised, the strengthening of women’s
and youth structures within affiliated unions, and involvement in and
influence on the national political scene (the FNT has a number of deputies
in the National Assembly), opposing the imposition of further structural
adjustment and working to prevent the ratification of the Central America
Free Trade Agreement.
FETSALUD : Health Workers Union
fntsid@ibw.com.ni
80% of FETSALUD members are women.
Photo: Dave Godson
FETSALUD represents 25,000 health workers including both
medical and non-medical staff (cleaners, gardeners, administration, security
etc.)
Whilst the right to free health care is enshrined in the Nicaraguan
constitution, in reality the system is in chaos as health spending continues
to be cut. Public sector hospitals suffer from a lack of equipment, medicine
shortages and no clothing or bedding. Although the government claims it does
not intend to privatise the service in reality most non medical services
(cleaning etc) within hospitals are now under private control. Whilst access
to a doctor is still free, the cost of buying medicine, supplying bedding
and providing food to the patient has meant adequate health care is no
longer accessible for the majority of the population.
The pay and conditions for health workers are extremely low – the average
wage for a health worker stands at US$50 per month. The union has succeeded
in gaining small increases in wages but pay still falls below what is needed
to provide for basic goods.
The main priorities of FETSALUD are: the defence of a free
health service and opposition to all forms of privatisation within the
health service; demanding increased investment in the public health system
and campaigning to improve the pay and working conditions of health sector
workers. As a union it is also prioritising the recruitment and organising
of women and young people and the strengthening of the structures for, and
representation of, these workers within FETSALUD.
For more information on the health sector by FETSALUD's Evile Umaña go to
Our Partners in Nicaragua >>
ANDEN
: Teachers Union
anden@guegue.com.ni
Poverty and user fees mean that this boy can no longer
afford to go to school.
Photo: Steve Lewis
ANDEN is one of the biggest teaching unions in Nicaragua, representing over
50% of primary and secondary school teachers. Education services and
literacy rates are once again in rapid decline since the electoral defeat of
the Sandinistas in 1990.
Teachers are poorly paid, earning significantly less than the basic cost of
living, and work in difficult conditions. Class sizes range from an official
50 students per class to a more common 70 or 80, schools are falling into
disrepair and increasing numbers of children are unable to receive even a
basic education. This is due mainly to the inability of parents to meet the
costs of books and uniforms, travel (particularly in rural areas) and ‘user
fees’ imposed by the IMF.
Although the government denies it plans to privatise the education system,
ANDEN believes that the introduction of ‘user fees,’ ‘school autonomy’ and
the decentralisation of certain education centres all mark a significant
step in that direction,
At the beginning of 2005 ANDEN and other teachers unions called a national
strike to demand a minimum wage at least equivalent to the cost of living.
30,000 teachers participated in the strike, 20,000 people took to the
streets in support of the teachers’ demands and a number of teachers went on
hunger strike. The strike ended after the government agreed to substantial
pay increases.
ANDEN’s main priorities are: organising to achieve better pay and conditions
for teachers, working to defend the public education system; campaigning for
the government to guarantee sufficient economic resources for education and
opposition to the privatisation of education. They are also planning to use
the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Sandinista literacy crusade, in
summer 2005, to launch a new political and educational campaign which will
challenge increasing illiteracy in Nicaragua. This includes encouraging
unemployed professionals to form literacy brigades, promote and support
literacy projects within the FNT membership and push local councils to
provide resources for literacy projects.
ATC :Agricultural Workers Union
atcnic@ibw.com.ni
Photo: Banana workers affected by toxic agri-chemical
Nemagon.
40% of the Nicaraguan workforce is involved in agricultural production, with
235,000 families reliant on agriculture for their survival. The ATC works to
organise and support plantation workers and small farmers.
Agricultural workers are facing a number of serious problems including;
falling commodity prices, competition with subsidised with US farmers (after
CAFTA), the large number of migrant workers (both internal and external) and
access and rights to land. All of these factors are making survival for
small farmers and agricultural workers increasingly difficult. Many workers
are also facing health problems due to overuse of toxic pesticides.
Priorities for the ATC include: opposing the ratification of
CAFTA and educating members on its potential effects, promotion and support
of small scale agriculture and food security, health and safety of
agricultural workers, particularly in relation to the use of toxic
chemicals, the protection of the legal, labour, social and economic rights
of migrant workers, both external and internal and campaigning and legal
work around land rights and land reform.
CST :Industrial and Manufacturing Union & the Free Trade Zones
The CST represents workers in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
Affiliated unions include those representing workers in the construction
industry and in the Free Trade Zones. Currently Nicaragua is seeing a boom
in construction as the international community provides loans for
infrastructure and road building and rich Nicaraguans build second houses
and shopping centres. Workers are poorly paid, have insecure contracts and
work under poor health and safety conditions.
The construction workers union is campaigning to improve health and safety
conditions and to obtain a legal minimum wage for construction workers. 2004
saw a wave of strikes and other forms of industrial action in support of
these demands.
Free Trade Zones (FTZ)
Although free trade zones have existed since 1970, the number of people
employed within them has increased rapidly since 1990. There are now 85
factories, predominantly foreign owned, operating within the free trade
zones, employing 75,000 workers directly and a further 200,000 indirectly.
Union repression is in the norm within FTZ factories. Of the 85 factories 20
have unions, only 4 of which have legal status. Government corruption adds
to the difficulties through the passing on of names during the union
registration process, the denial of registration to a number of unions and
through failure to enforce Nicaraguan labour legislation.
Conditions in the factories are generally poor, with long working hours and
low pay. Basic pay stands at US$65 per month. Workers are expected to meet
high production targets and are often compelled to work extra hours if their
quotas aren’t met.
Current priorities of the union include; the creation of a federation of FTZ
unions, increased organising within the free trade zones, lobbying to ensure
proper labelling of items to reflect country of origin, oppose corruption in
government and strengthening links with trade unions and organisations in
consumer countries.
Such links have already helped the union achieve some successes. In February
2005 five unionists who had been dismissed by management at the Nicotex
factory were reinstated after an international campaign.
UNE : Public Sector Union
cocentrafemenino@xerox.com.ni
"No to more job cuts, yes to quality services with
better salaries".
Photo: Domingo Perez
UNE has represented public sector workers in Nicaragua since its formation
in 1978. Its membership has drastically decreased since 1990 in part because
of the privatisation of previously publicly owned services and in part
because of attacks on unions carried out by successive right wing
governments since 1990.
Affiliations have been on the increase in recent years due to changes in
organising strategy which has led to successes in organising workers in the
newly privatised industries; e.g. banking and transport, in areas where
unions have disappeared, e.g. the fishing industry; and in areas that have
never been organised, e.g. domestic workers. As a result UNE continues to
grow despite the threats of budget and job cuts across the public sector,
the government’s support of ‘yellow’ unions and attempts to prohibit public
sector workers from organising. Membership now stands at 15,000. They are
working towards achieving a membership of 20,000 workers over the next few
years.
One of UNE’s major successes in recent years has been in successfully
campaigning for a law which protects civil service workers from political
changes. Previously, when the political leadership of the local council
changed a large amount of staff would be replaced with new staff. This law
ensures job security that is de-linked from political affiliation.
UNE’s priorities include: to continue organising public sector workers, to
organise previously unorganised and vulnerable workers, to strengthen the
structures and sustainability of UNE, to oppose cuts in government spending,
to oppose the privatisation of public services including water, education
and health, to support the formation of unions in new sectors and to oppose
the ratification of the Central America Free Trade Agreement.
FESC :Communication Workers
fschmidt@tmx.com.ni
The Federación Enrique Schmit, which is affiliated to UNE (see above),
represents both telecoms and postal workers at the national level. The
telecoms industry was privatised in 2004 and is now predominantly owned by
ENITEL, a Mexican company. The postal service is still 100% state owned,
although much of the more profitable work has been siphoned off to private
courier firms
In comparison to many other sectors, conditions within the telephone
industry are fairly good. The salary of a basic engineer is US$90 per month,
but the average is around US$400, making telephone engineers some of the
highest paid workers in Nicaragua.
At present the union is negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement
with ENITEL, who are trying to reduce terms and conditions. The union is in
a strong position as 60% of ENITEL workers are members of FESC. Although the
union is hoping to reach agreement through negotiation they are prepared to
take industrial action if necessary.
FESC’s other main challenge in the telecoms sector is the opposition to
‘yellow’ unions, unions of the political right often set up by, or with the
help of, the company. These unions are opposed to using normal democratic
union processes and may be an obstacle in taking legal industrial action.
Other priorities include the recruiting and organising of women workers and
pressuring for the reinstatement of workers sacked during the anti
privatisation campaign.
Conditions for workers in the postal service are far worse than for those in
telecoms. The Minister of Labour is refusing to negotiate a new collective
bargaining agreement and the management are looking to reduce workers
benefits. At present postal workers earn around $100 a month.
SINDICATO DEL SECTOR INFORMAL: Informal Sector Union
The latest union to be affiliated to the FNT is the Informal Sector union.
Formed in May 2002, it now has over 7,500 members in 36 unions, which
represent workers at traffic lights; lottery sellers; shoe shiners; street
sellers and tricycle taxis.
The union believes that although the labour relations between employers and
employees in the informal sector are quite different to traditional labour
relationships they do exist. Suppliers of the goods they sell or owners of
the equipment they use tend to be the same people: local businessmen;
magistrates; politicians and so on. It also falls to local authorities to
grant (or otherwise) licences, eviction notices and other types of
permissions.
As these labour relations are more invisible than relations in traditional
sectors the creation of an informal sector union has required the
development of new ways of organising and providing services.
The union's current priorities include: developing and strengthening
organising work; education and training for members (many of whom have had
no access to formal education); improving health and safety in the
workplaces, the provision of a mutual health service; the development of
revolving loan funds for members and the elimination of child workers from
the informal sector.
For how you can support Nicaraguan
trade unions through NSCAG
click here >>
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