With the massive layoffs of state workers organized into several unions, the regime of Porfirio Lobo advances its clear and violent anti-union escalation following a strategy to reverse labour and social conquests of the Honduran people, in order to weaken the birth of the Broad Front of People's Resistance (FARP), declared Juan Barahona, President of the Sub FUTH and coordinator of the National Front of People's Resistance (FNRP).
According to a statement of Barahona, the head of the regime has launched a real crackdown on trade unions in the country, mostly engaged in the FNRP, with the aim of dismantling and thus reversing the gains made over so many years of struggle.
"Today there have been massive layoffs of workers from different unions, and the dismissal of the President of the Union of the Institute of Forest Conservation (SITRAICF), José Humberto Ordonez, thereby violating trade union immunity under the law" Barahonar noted .
As stated by Barahona, the stigmatization of union struggle is also notable, with the repeated violations of internal procedures and work regulations, strong pressure on workers to resign from unions and murky legal proceedings against union management.
"We must defend these conquests, fighting to preserve the right to self-organization, collective bargaining and job security that has cost us so much, and that now the regime seeks to in open violation of Conventions 87 and 98 of the ILO", the labour leader argued. After the assault on SITRAPANI SITRAUNAH the regime continues its campaign to dismantle various trade unions, including SITRAINJUPEMP, SITRADEI, SITRAIHNFA, SITRAICF, SITRAINA, most of them affiliated with the United Federation Workers of Honduras (FUTH).
These unions demand, in the face of the massive unfair dismissal of workers taking place to this day, the increase in threats, attacks and breaches of international agreements, an immediate halt to the illegal layoffs and demand the immediate reinstatement of those dismissed.
Barahona meanwhile called on all labour unions in the country to join this effort to defend the rights of workers since one can not be a mere spectator of these violations, "We will intensify the protests, hence tomorrow, September 1st, the FNRP will take to the streets in a joint struggle across the five principles, including the defense of the labour organisations", concluded Barahona.
