Youth Unionists project
2007 / 2008 / 09

I arrived in Managua late on the evening of Thursday 22 October, to be met by Domingo Perez, General Secretary of UNE, the Nicaraguan Public Service Union, his wife, and Julian Guevara, who works for the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign in Managua, and whose house I was staying in. 

Next morning Friday 23 October my first appointment was at a seminar for young trade unionists.  This was a training course for potential trade union leaders of the future, organised by a committee of young trade unionists, part of FESTRAMUM, the union for public service workers in the municipality of Managua.  They had named their committee after a young revolutionary poet, Leonel Rugama, who was killed by Somoza’s forces in 1970 at the age of 20. The structure of Nicaraguan trade unions differs from that of UNISON in the UK in that they have separate trade unions in what we would call branches and regions, and UNE is rather the confederation of all public service based trade unions throughout the country.  The public service union in Managua, which is part of UNE, is thus called FESTRAMUM, not UNE.

The Leonel Rugama committee was set up to support the development of young trade unionists through training, discussion and solidarity, and to develop a political vision for young people, who naturally have a different perspective to those who lived through the revolution and the first years of Sandinismo.  They are already active in international solidarity work and have sent representatives to regional conferences in Guatemala and Costa Rica.  They are very keen to establish links with young workers in UNISON and work together to involve young people in developing their unions. 

The seminar was very impressive, and well attended.  Twenty or thirty young people (wearing T-shirts which read “Joven, tu sindicato te espera” – young people, your trade union is waiting for you) were giving their full attention to the tutor, and I felt a bit bad about interrupting them by being propelled (along with Julian, who was translating) to the front by Domingo and being introduced in the most glowing terms. After this I clearly had to respond in kind, which wasn’t difficult – I was genuinely impressed – and I was presented with a poster of Sandino and a book of letters of protest following Sandino’s assassination in 1934. We then went on to a smaller meeting with the leadership of the Leonel Rugama committee, during which they explained some of their work and expressed their desire to work with young people in Unison.  The Co-ordinator who heads the committee is a very impressive young woman called Meylin Gomez – this is a theme which I have noticed before in Nicaragua, that young women, unlike the previous generation, have absolutely no intention of taking any back seats and are far more likely to be at the forefront of any organisations they are involved in.

After this, we went on to a meeting with the executive committee of FESTRAINSS, the trade union for workers in social security.  This too is confusing – FESTRAINSS is the component of UNE for workers in that particular sector, but in this case includes workers from all over the country.  Representatives from all over Nicaragua were present in Managua to attend the UNE congress the following day.  There were 22 representatives in total, including several from the Atlantic Coast, the most remote and isolated part of the country.  They were reporting back on local issues, and discussing pay and collective bargaining.  It was somewhat surprising to learn that these workers enjoy the second best salaries of any in the country! Their work in the main consists of paying retirement pensions and other benefits, although clearly not on the same scale as those in this country, considering the vast number of people who are not entitled to anything from the state.  This work used to be done by private banks, but has been taken back “in house”.  Under the Sandinista government, 500 new jobs have created and there is new stability of employment for the workers. With regard to the Atlantic coast, the trade union branches in Bluefields and Bilwi  had been set up for the first time by the indefatigable Domingo, without whose help this would not have been possible.  These new TUs were now registered as organisations and were working to improve both working conditions and the level of service provided.  (There must be at least 20 members for a TU to be registered).

Figures:
* In Leon (non-Atlantic Coast) we heard that there were 63 workers, and all belonged to the TU, which was legally registered and recognised.  The TU leadership meets every week to raise awareness, work with management, ensure collective bargaining agreements are implemented etc.  70% of the membership are women.
* In Managua, there were 72 workers, of which 68 were TU members (the other four coming up with the familiar cry of “we can’t afford it”).
* In Puerto Cabezas, there were 22 workers, 18 women and 4 men.  There are 280 persons in receipt of pensions, but because the population is widely scattered and communications and infrastructure poor, the workers in many cases have to visit the recipients in their homes.  (Puerto Cabezas is also on the Atlantic Coast)
* In Rio San Juan, there were 22 workers, all of them TU members, serving 740 retired persons.
* In Rivas, there were 37 workers, all of them TU members.  60% of the TU leadership were women, 40% man.
* In Jinotega, there were 41 workers, 34 of them TU members.  TU leadership was 50/50.

It was also explained that in the past, the TU for these workers had been practically non-existent, due to the corruption of the leadership.  People didn’t know where the money from their subscriptions went so they stopped paying.  However, more recently the current TU was formed, with new leadership.  The Managua branch was developed first as a model, and now the TU as a whole had 520 members throughout the country.

After lunch we visited a pharmacy. This was a brand new facility of which the Director was clearly hugely proud.  Its services could be used by anyone paying their social security subs – similar to our National Insurance.  The pharmacy provided subsidised medicines and routine procedures such as screening etc.  It was really heartening to see how happy the director was to be providing services that could be accessed by a large number of people (the place was very busy whilst we were there) instead of just the privileged few.

Saturday 24 October – UNE congress.
This was held in the old National Palace, now the Palace of Culture. The national anthem was followed by the presentation of the special guests, a welcome from the Director of the Culture Institute, opening remarks from Gustavo Porras, National Co-ordinator of the FNT (Nicaraguan TUC), and greetings from the Minister of Employment, Jannett Chavez.  This took us to 10am, when the congress was addressed by Oscar Rodriguez, PSI regional secretary for Central America.  After this, it was my turn (my speech, in English and Spanish, is attached at the end of this report).  I was quite glad to have completed my mission so early in the day, because the Nicaraguans were clearly determined to squeeze as much enjoyment out of the day as possible and now I was free to relax and join in! In fact, parts of the morning’s proceedings resembled nothing so much as a Nicaraguan cabaret, with songs, national dance, and from the delegates whole hearted appreciation and willingness to participate as and when required.  The whole thing was utterly good natured – they were, quite simply, having fun - and enhanced by a number of small children who had joined their parents and were now excitedly running up and down the aisles.

This did not detract however from the serious business of the day, which continued after a break with Domingo’s delivery of the biannual report (the Congress is called every other year).  The report contrasted the good news (the election of a Sandinista government) with the bad (the world economic crisis) and the effects of both on UNE and its members. Pressure from the IMF (on which Nicaragua still depends) had caused a reduction in pensions and reference was also made to the task of transforming the state from one based on neo-liberal ideas to one based on revolution.  Nicaragua is still run via neo-liberal  structures, laws and institutions, none of which can be dismantled overnight, especially by a minority government. In the field of international relations, work with TU organisations in Central and Latin America had been deepened and strengthened.

The following was read out with reference to UNISON: “In the UK, we have maintained our historic links of lasting friendship and solidarity with UNISON, the most important and powerful public service union in that country, with 1.3 million members.  From them we have received much solidarity, both financial and political, and as today we have Ruby Cox with us in our national congress as an official representative of that powerful organisation, we have no doubt that these links will last for ever.”

Further reference was made to TU training courses, and the 12 seminars for young trade unionists which had been successfully run with the support of UNISON. Under the heading of Equalities, six workshops had been run, giving training to 200 women.  It was acknowledged that there had been a lack of resources, but it was also reported that the executive committee (which was mostly men) was keen to implement the policy pioneered by PSI, that of having 50/50 representation on all decision making bodies. (The promise was made that this figure would be achieved in the current Congress, but unfortunately the number of women still fell short, with 9 men and 7 women in the newly elected executive committee – 43% instead of 50%). Youth work had been prioritised, and once again UNISON’s support was recognised, together with that of the Norwegian TU LO.  300 young people had received training due to this support.  Although there was a national youth committee in existence, it lacked resources, and it was hoped that further help would be forthcoming (as far as I know, the Linking Young Trade Unionists Project which UNISON has supported via NSC has been hugely successful and is till ongoing). Ideally, each TU (remember, this means regions, branches and workplace unions) should have a youth committee, and follow the example of the Leonel Rugama committee, providing leadership and training for the young throughout the country.  Special mention was made of Meylin as the leader in this field, as well as an example of a woman in a position of leadership. Finally, Domingo spoke of UNE’s financial problems, and stated that UNE had to find a way to become better supported by the subscriptions of its members (which are at present unreliable), since dependence on outside help could not continue indefinitely. 

After this blockbuster it was time for lunch, then on to the action plan for the next two years Priorities included: 

• Support for the revolutionary government in eradicating poverty, unemployment and social exclusion, and the reintroduction of the welfare state.
• Support for the establishment of the social co-ordinator (the grassroots social movement aligned to the FSLN, the Sandinista party)
• Ensuring implementation of the two new laws (476 and 502) which protect the rights of workers in central and local government.
• Eradicating institutionalised corruption inherited from the neoliberal governments.  Establishing in the public sector a culture of efficient and effective delivery of quality public services.
• Participation in government bodies to protect workers’ interests.
• Development of links of solidarity and friendship with like minded organisations abroad in order to create a form of globalisation that benefits the poor and dispossessed of the world.
• Promotion of and support for the greater involvement of women in national and international decision making bodies.
• Promotion of the involvement of young trade unionists to guarantee their involvement at leadership level in the future.

At 2pm, attention turned to the two motions that had been put to Congress.  The first of these recommended supporting the decision of the Supreme Court that Daniel Ortega could stand for re-election beyond the two terms previously laid down in law.  The second referred, once again to UNISON: “this eleventh national Congress of UNE, which is the highest authority of our trade union, resolves to approve the signing of an agreement of brotherhood and mutual collaboration between UNE and UNISON, in order to continue deepening the historic bonds of friendship and solidarity, so that they will last for ever”. Both motions were approved. Following the approval of the second, I accompanied Domingo to the top table and together we signed the agreement in English and in Spanish, holding them up afterwards for all to see.  Everyone cheered, and it was a very proud moment for me. After this excitement, the Congress concluded with the election and swearing in of the new executive committee, closing remarks from Domingo (the re-elected General Secretary) and the FSLN anthem. And then, of course, it was time to party!!

Sunday 25 October  Day off sightseeing

Monday 26 October . In the morning I met with Gustavo Porras, General Secretary of FETSALUD, the health workers’ union.  Since Unison also covers this sector, I had thought it a good opportunity to also consolidate our relationship with FETSALUD via a twinning agreement.  FETSALUD has a regional structure similar to that of UNISON, which should facilitate twinning if other regions wish to become involved.  Historically UNISON had also been linked with FETSALUD, and on my previous visit in 2002 with a UNISON delegation, we had visited many medical facilities and met with the men and women who were battling against outrageous odds to provide basic health care to the many thousands who could not afford to pay for it.  I will never forget going to a hospital and seeing rows and rows of empty shelves where medicines should have been stored, beds without blankets or even mattresses and then next door, in the private section, an abundance of every type of modern facility. 

Together with Gustavo I met Andres Zamora Venetta, the financial secretary, and Evile Umana Olivas, the Deputy General Secretary, who had visited the UK on at least one occasion in recent years. After we had signed the agreement – this time with considerably less fanfare – Gustavo explained that when the Sandinistas took power in 2007, FETSALUD were in the vanguard of the promotion and propagation of the return to free healthcare.  However, they were hampered by the lack of equipment and resources inherited from successive neo-liberal governments.  The Sandinistas introduced a policy of having no separate units for private healthcare and these have now been closed.  Free health care had always been enshrined in the constitution, however, under the neo-liberals this was interpreted to mean that all and any equipment, medicines etc had to be paid for – to the extent of surgical thread to sew up wounds after an operation.  However the problem now is that demand has increased so much but resources and the number of workers have stayed more or less the same.  It is a major preoccupation to attract more people into the sector, especially since the average age of existing staff is too high and natural wastage through retirement is an additional concern.  

In the 1990s, in a period of structural adjustment, the “law of government bids” was introduced.  This prohibits the state from buying cheaper generic medicines and specifies where they must be sourced.  Cheaper medicines could in fact be purchased for one fifth of the prices currently paid, but the law forbids it. As a result of this, medicines are in fact Nicaragua’s second largest import after petroleum, costing the country $150m per annum. FETSALUD has submitted draft proposals to change this law.  Gustavo gave this as an example of the insanity of some of the laws inherited from previous governments, but said there are many others just as bad.  In order to get round the restrictions imposed by the “law of government bids” however, Nicaragua now asks other countries for aid in the form of medicine instead of money, so that it does not have to be paid for. Gustavo went on to say that the health sector union has always been very strong and has now secured for its members an increase both in salary and job security.

I was expecting the Cubans to figure somewhere in all this, renowned as they are for their generosity and expertise in the field of medicine, and it came as no surprise to learn that a brigade of Cubans had arrived in 2007.  What I had not known was that in 1998, after Hurricane Mitch, a brigade of Cuban doctors was prepared to come and help but Aleman, the president at the time, refused to let them.  Since then a small number of Nicaraguan students have trained at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, but these numbers are now increasing, the suitable candidates now being selected via FETSALUD.  These students now return to Nicaragua as interns, under the supervision of Cuban doctors.  Ideally, Nicaragua would wish to emulate the Cuban system of having doctors going out to communities instead of demanding that people come to surgeries, but at the moment the resources simply don’t exist. Since 2007, a further brigade has arrived to set up Operacion Milagro, the process used to restore people’s sight, usually through the removal of cataracts.  This is taking place primarily on the Atlantic Coast, the most disadvantaged area, as stated earlier.  (We did actually see some Cubans when we went to this area later in the week).  In the RAAS (Autonomous Region of the South Atlantic) they are building a hospital. A third brigade was currently in Managua, going from house to house to take a census of disabilities.  This has already taken place in Masaya, where an analysis of cases has just finished, and Matagalpa and Chinandega are next on the list.  The exercise is due to finish in April 2010.

This is a quite astonishing undertaking, considering that here in the UK the onus is entirely on the disabled person to identify themselves and to make their needs known to the agencies that can help them.  To actually go out and offer help turns this way of thinking on its head and makes it the responsibility of the community and the state – everyone, in fact – to respond to the disabled person’s needs, in practical ways that all the equalities statements and policies in the world cannot match.  This is the human face of medicine that the Cubans are so good at, and this was borne out by Gustavo telling us that even though there is the ever present lack of resources to be reckoned with, what they are finding is that simply the recognition of needs within the community is often enough to make a huge difference to the individual. I was offered the wonderful opportunity to go out with them as they made their house calls the following day, but that was the day I was flying to the other side of the country to see the literacy project, so regretfully I had to decline.

Gustavo concluded by saying that their main preoccupations at the moment were improving working conditions, accessing protective clothing and equipment, training, enrolling young workers, possibly whilst they were still at university, and of course finding ways to increase the amount of medical supplies available. 

After this, we visited the a meeting of the Nicaraguan Community Movement, MCN. This was a meeting of the National Health Committee, and representatives from all over Nicaragua were discussing their local campaigns.  MCN is made up from and run by volunteers.  They are not health professionals, nevertheless they have been tremendously successful in the field of preventative healthcare by encouraging good practice and raising awareness of the causes of disease within the communities where they work, a fact which was recognised by the United Nations in 2009 when MCN was awarded the United Nations Population Award.  Their work combating domestic violence and HIV/AIDS was also highly praised. One particularly terrifying statistic that cannot escape comment is that in Nicaragua, more women are presently killed by their partners than by malaria. 

MCN are autonomous, and not allied to any political party.  They have their own agenda independent of any other organisation or influence and that agenda is dictated by the needs of the local communities. Most recently, they had been attempting to combat an outbreak of dengue fever by calling from house to house with insecticides and giving information on how to stay safe.  Old rubber tyres, which hold water, are a breeding ground for mosquitoes so there had been a campaign to get rid of this threat in particular. The infamous “Law of Procurement” got a mention again and MCN are working with the state and with FETSALUD to get rid of it.  Reports from around the country included: 

• Matagalpa, where dengue fever and swine flu were the main preoccupations.  They had attempted to hold health festivals, but these were not supported by the government, probably because of the presence of NGOs, whom they seem to regard with suspicion and hostility.
• Madriz, where mainly preventative work had taken place
• Granada, where there had been four cases of swine flu, including one death

It is of course to be regretted that the government and the MCN as well as relevant NGOs cannot work in concert to reach every member of the community, but at the moment it appears that the autonomous and independent character of the MCN is regarded as a threat by some, causing splits within communities and confusion as to who to trust.  Since it is clear that the MCN, which also works in other areas apart from health, will maintain its position of being equally accessible to everyone regardless of their beliefs or political affiliations, it is to be hoped that in time this principled stand will be seen in a more positive light.   

At the end of the meeting I presented a laptop computer to Pablo Lopez, the co-ordinator for the La Concha region, which we had visited during our earlier trip in July 2009.  Pablo had expressed the need for a computer so that he could better organise his work and produce training materials for three women’s co-operatives he was supporting in the area, and this had been supplied via ComputerAid by a group of Nicaragua supporters in Leeds.

After lunch, we went on to meet with Enrique Picado, the National Director of the MCN Health Programme, together with Pablo Lopez. The programme was founded in 1979, with the first revolution.  The key element of the programme is the health promoter, and a network of these now exists throughout the country.  In 1983, this resulted in the elimination of polio, and at that time, the MCN worked with the government, as part of the revolution.  In 1990, with the return of the neoliberals, MCN continued to work as a community organisation.  In 1994 they began a programme of advocacy of sexual and reproductive rights.  They also offered a comprehensive approach to family planning, and began to tackle such difficult areas as domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, and maternal mortality.  It cannot be overemphasised how great is the need for this type of work, and MCN is at present the main agency providing it.  They can do this because of their autonomous status, since this leaves them free of political considerations and free of the influence of the Catholic church.  In fact, it was described to me how Pablo had held a health festival right outside the local Catholic church giving out free condoms to anyone who would take them.  That I would have loved to see! Of course the topic of therapeutic abortion had to enter into the discussion and the MCN of course utterly rejects the ban.   

Pablo then went on to give some feedback from La Concha.  He said that their current issues were:

* Access to electricity and clean drinking water.
* The legal recognition of two of the co-operatives that we had visited in July.  It is very expensive to pay for a lawyer to do this – approx C$7,000 – but with training co-op members could do it themselves.
*  Housing.  There was a new law regarding affordable housing but training was needed to ensure its enforcement.
*  Employment – again there is a lack of funds for training.  The Comites del Poder Cuidadano (the FSLN affiliated grassroots movement) are trying to discredit the MCN and obstruct the MCN’s relationship with the local mayor which also means with the local source of funding. 

Enrique explained that in the 1990s, the MCN had been supported by the NGO CODA, which had provided training in capacity building and leadership.  This engendered a new consciousness regarding leadership, and it was no longer seen as a partisan role.  Out of this sprang the autonomous identity of the MCN and its new approach of constructing community agendas. However, this left them in a difficult position regarding the government, especially as they were dealing with the most controversial of subjects, i.e. sexual and reproductive rights.  He concluded by saying that, in his opinion, the present government was in danger of compromising the secular role of the state.  They were confused as to whether they were in government or opposition, and were still conducting campaigns as though they were not the ones in power.  Perhaps this would also shed some light on why they sometimes appear confused about which elements in society are their natural allies.

Tuesday 27 October. The second purpose of my visit was to visit Rio Coco, a remote area of Nicaragua, as a representative of the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, to witness the progress being made by the Sandinista government supported campaign to eradicate illiteracy.  Go to >>

Sunday 1 November
In the plane on my way back, it seemed impossible that I had experienced so much in such a short space of time, and I kept looking at the photos on my camera to reassure myself that I had not been dreaming. Not only had I represented my union at national level, the kindness, generosity and openness of the Miskitu people was a real inspiration and I only hoped that, as Chair of NSC, I could repay them and help to make a difference to their lives. 

PREVIOUS NSCAG ACTIVITIES:

UK trade unions have been working with the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign (& then Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group) to support Nicaraguan workers since 1978. Highlights include:

* UNITE support 2009 trade union delegation to Nicaragua  (page not yet loaded)

* CWU sponsor the first multi-union young members delegation to Nicaragua in 2008, as part of the NSCAG Linking Young Trade Unionists project >>

* UNISON support the first ever FNT National Youth Assembly in 2007 >>
 
* Abortion Ban in Nicaragua 2007 / 2008. Follow the link >> for the NSCAG statement and background information.

* Over £2,500 donated by branches and regions to the Hurricane Felix disaster in 2007

* A 10 person delegation to observe the 2006 Nicaraguan elections >>

* Support from UK trade union affiliates when Nicaraguan unions need it most, for example, the FETSALUD national strike, attacks on CST-JBE members the Free-Trade Zones, mass sackings of local council workers in San Juan del Sur.


November 2006. NSCAG PRESENTS HARD HATS TO NICARAGUAN UNIONISTS

In November NSCAG sent a delegation to observe the Nicaraguan elections (for more details see >> )
The delegation members also made contact with representatives of Nicaraguan trade unions and delivered a donation of 15 hard hats and ear protectors. These came from the Greater London Region UNISON Europe and International Committee, but were sourced from one of UNISON's utilities branches. They were redundant stock from a re-branding exercise.
The hats and ear protectors were presented by George Grimes of Lambeth UNISON Branch on behalf of the Region, to workers at the GECSA power plant. George was also able to pass on a £200 donation to the struggle at San Rafael del Sur. 

April 2006. NICARAGUAN HEALTH WORKERS WIN SIGNIFICANT VICTORY!
This is a copy of a letter sent to associated branches and regions in April 2006

Dear Friends,
I am writing to inform you of the struggle of 23,000 Nicaraguan Health Workers who recently achieved important improvements to salaries and public health spending after engaging in a five month national strike to demand higher salaries, better conditions and higher investment in the public health service. As you know we sent a message of solidarity and support to the health workers in January of this year.
The deal signed in April lead to significant increases of health workers salaries (16.75% more than the original pay deal offered), the cancellation of private contracts within the health service, the promotion of cheaper medicines and an increase in health spending of over US$1 million.

Background
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, whilst the basic cost of living in Nicaragua stands at around $200 per month.

The Strike
In November 2005 the government debated and passed the national budget for 2006. The budget included a rise of only 8-10% in health workers wages, an increase that barely covered the rate of inflation. As a result FETSALUD declared a national strike to demand a 48% increase in wages as well as an increase of US$3.5 million into spending on medicine and equipment in public hospitals and the elimination of charges for public health services and hospitals.
The government claimed they were unable to offer an increase more than 15% because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had prohibited the Nicaraguan government from raising public sector workers' salaries above the rate of inflation. Any greater increase could potentially threaten Nicaragua’s inclusion in the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC).
Between January and March 2006 FETSALUD organised a series of protests and civil disobedience including blockades of the Pan American Highway and protests outside the IMF and presidential offices. In March the government retaliated by ordering the police force into hospitals to guarantee public access to the emergency rooms (which had been kept open), an action which was condemned by both human right groups and the union as an intimidation strategy.

The deal
On April 6th, FETSALUD and the government finally reached an agreement and the strike ended. The agreement included a 30% pay rise for low paid health workers (who do not currently earn at least US$1176 per year) and an extra US$1.76 million for medicines at public health centres and hospitals. The Ministry of Health also committed itself to cancelling all contracts with private companies currently providing services within the public health sector and to working towards cheaper medicine by promoting the sale of generic drugs.
Whilst not all the demands of the union were met the strike has achieved genuine improvements in public spending and goes someway to defending the public health service.


March 2005. VICTORY AT NICOTEX AS UNION LEADERS REINSTATED

Five fired union leaders from the Nicotex factory in Sébaco, Nicaragua, a supplier of Gildan Activewear (t-shirts etc) have been reinstated at the factory following strong union action and an international campaign which followed their sackings in November 2004. NSCAG took part in this campaign.

The Confederation of Union Workers - José Benito Escobar (CST-JBE) to which the factory union belonged, signed an agreement on February 7 with both Nicotex management and the Gildan representative in Nicaragua. The agreement outlined a reinstatement plan for the five workers which included compensation covering lost pay and other damages. The workers will terminate the judicial and administrative claims filed against Nicotex, while the company has committed to respecting the rights of the union. Nicotex, Gilden and CST-JBE have now agreed to deal with any future problems through negotiations.

Background
In August 2004, workers at Nicotex formed the union and applied for union recognition from the Ministry of Labour. This recognition was never given, despite the union filing all the necessary papers. In November, Nicotex fired six union leaders - one of whom accepted severance pay -and 40 union members. Gildan Activewear was the sole buyer of Nicotex-made goods.

Although Gildan said it that it had told Nicotex management to reinstate the union leaders and allow for freedom of association, management continued to intimidate and buy off the union leaders.

It took a lot of hard work from the union leaders, the confederation, and international solidarity to achieve this victory. Thanks to their strength and persistence, the union leaders can now return to work and can continue to organize and raise the workers' voice in their work place.

Gildan has come under strong international pressure to improve conditions in its supplier factories over the last six months. After violations of labour rights were found in two of its suppliers, El Progresso in Honduras and Nicotex in Nicaragua, international campaigns were launched in the US and throughout Europe. This pressure, along with the action taken by the workers involved and their unions, has led to Gildan taking steps towards remediation in both factories.

Many thanks to individuals, branches and regions who took part in this campaign.

For more information contact us at NSCAG, 86, Durham Rd, London N7 7DT
tel: 020 7561 4836  or nscag@nicaraguasc.org.uk

To find out how to join NSCAG click here >>