ITUC GLOBAL RIGHTS INDEX

Guatemala
Guatemala has been one of the most violent countries for workers for many
years. The ILO, the UN and other international organizations have detailed extremely
serious and systematic violations of the right to freedom of association,
up to and including death threats and murder. Yet, despite repeated promises
by government, workers have been exposed to physical violence, intimidation,
murder, kidnappings and death threats. On 24 September 2015, trade unionist
Mynor Rolando Ramos Castillo, a member of the Sindicato de Trabajadores de
la Municipalidad de Jalapa (SITRAMJ), was murdered. The municipal worker
had been dismissed on account of his trade union activities and took part in
the mobilisations to press the Mayor of Jalapa,
Elmer Leónidas Guerra, to comply with the
labour court ruling ordering the reinstatement
of unfairly dismissed workers. Given the brutal
anti-union violence and unchecked violations of
workers’ rights, it is unsurprising that current
union membership stands at 1.6 per cent of the
working population.
India
Police has used disproportionate violence against workers protesting to call
for the payment of due wages and workers were detained for exercising their
rights guaranteed in national laws. Private security guards hired by companies
also use violence against workers picketing to demand the payment of their
wages. The situation is likely to get worse as the government has proposed to
make changes to the labour laws which would undermine fundamental rights.
The draft law stipulates that at least ten per cent of the total employees or 100
workers would be needed to form a trade union. Another provision would allow
companies employing up to 300 workers to lay off staff without government
permission, as against 100 workers previously. In India 85 per cent of manufacturing
firms employ less than 50 workers, and around half of these workers
are kept on short-term contracts and earn just USD 5 or USD 6 per day. The
government’s proposals would deprive them of vital legal protections leaving
them in even more precarious circumstances.
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