In August, the IUF-affiliated Beverage and Related Industry Workers’ Union (STIBYS) denounced the violations of the collective agreement by Cervecería Hondureña SA (AB InBev). A month later the union sent a new list of demands to the company. However, the labor authorities announced that it is not possible to negotiate new agreements until the country normalizes its activities following the health crisis.
Faced with the repeated violations of the collective agreement and the outsourcing policy imposed by the transnational company, STIBYS decided to mobilize at the national level.
The rallies were held on October 6, 2020 in front of the Cervecería Hondureña facilities throughout the country, as a sign of unity and willingness of the union to fight.
In a statement released nationally and internationally, STIBYS points out that AB InBev has been increasingly hiring outsourced workers.
“The abuse is so great that the company hires even third party workers to perform overtime in lieu of permanent workers and to replace them when they are absent due to vacation, illness or disability. Third party workers earn a daily salary less than permanent workers, and they cannot benefit from the collective agreement. Therefore it is more profitable for the company to hire them.”
“During the health crisis, Cervecería Hondureña (AB InBev) has taken pride in not having suspended workers, as other companies have done. However, we have about 200 workers that the company’s medical system has quarantined, who cannot meet their needs due to lack of salary and who are being replaced by third-party workers, “warned STIBYS.
Repeated violations of the collective agreement
“The company is denying union leave. Likewise, it intends to change working hours whimsically in order to not pay overtime. It has even gone so far as to use tricks to violate the right to retirement, forcing workers to negotiate their benefits”.
During the rallies, the organized workers of Cervecería Hondureña also condemned the government’s decision to keep the offices of the Ministry of Labor and the courts of justice closed.
“This decision leaves us in a state of total defenselessness. We cannot ask for justice in the face of the repeated violations of our rights by the employers because there is no one to attend to us”, denounced STIBYS.
Please find the original news story in Spanish here.
