INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-COSTA RICA:

SOLIDARITY WITH DEL MONTE WORKERS:

The following appeal is from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Costa Rica: Solidarity with plantation workers:

"Health and wellbeing are for us a priority," proclaims Del Monte, one of the largest fruit producers in the world. Maybe, but this generous "priority" does not extend to the workers at Piňales de Santa Clara SA, a Costa Rican company which provides Del Monte with pineapple. Since March 2008, the trade unionists of the SITAGAH union are constantly harassed. Many of them have been laid off, including employees simply suspected of sympathy towards the union. The workers are standing up for their rights. The SITAGAH and the NGO Peuples Solidaires are calling on unionists throughout the world to show their solidarity with the plantation workers by putting pressure on Del Monte and its supplier.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to Del Monte and its suppliers.

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I've learned from Peoples Solidarity (France) about the situation at Pinales de Santa Clara, a supplier of Del Monte. I am outraged by the harassment of SITAGAH union members by various means, including the worsening of working conditions and salary, and the firing of many of them in 2008 and in January 2009. I appeal to you to: Immediately stop these anti-union actions; Reinstate the dismissed workers with all of their rights; Begin a dialogue with SITAGAH for the respect of labor rights and the improvement of working conditions.