NICARAGUA: Unions protest against ANAIRC's CKD Campaign

international | worker & community struggles and protests | opinion/analysis Friday July 03, 2009 04:10 by Xiomara Chamorro

NICARAGUA SUGAR AND COMPAÑÍA LICORERA WORKERS MARCH TO PROTEST CKF CAMPAIGN AGAINST GRUPO PELLAS AND NICARAGUA SUGAR AND BOYCOTT AGAINST FLOR DE CAÑA INITIATED BY ANAIRC AND UITA

Informative article on the march of Ingenio San Antonio and Compañía Licorera workers and main union leaders to reject discrediting campaign againsta Nicaragua Sugar Estates, Grupo Pellas and Flor de Cana boycott initiated by ANAIRC and UITA.

A group of people purportedly linked to the Nicaraguan Association of Persons Affected by Chronic Kidney Failure (ANAIRC) have been developing for some time a defamatory campaign against Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited, based on unfounded allegations for the sole purpose of getting unjustified monetary compensations from the company. In the last few weeks they have also targeted Grupo Pellas in their campaign and have launched a boycott against the Flor de Caña rum brand.

The aforementioned campaign is based on the assumption that former ISA workers acquired the chronic kidney failure disease as a result of working for the company.

This campaign is unfounded because there is no scientific study establishing a causal relationship between working in sugar processing estates and CKF, as shown by the fact that countries such as Guatemala, Cuba, or Brazil, where sugarcane cultivation is one of the main activities, are unaware of any CKF epidemics in their cane growing areas. On the other hand, Japan, which does not grow sugarcane, reports the world’s highest prevalence.

Ingenio San Antonio (ISA) follows the same agricultural practices used throughout the world, with the added advantage of having an eco-friendly production system in place, given that the protection of the environment is an essential element of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy.

On Friday, May 29th, more than two thousand workers of Ingenio San Antonio and Compañía Licorera of Nicaragua came to Managua to express their support to these two companies.

In front of the workers marched the main leaders of the trade unions that exist in Ingenio San Antonio and Compañía Licorera, as well as the national leaders of trade union confederations, including Jose Espinoza Navas of the Confederation of Trade Union Unity (CUS), Roberto González of the Sandinista Workers' Confederation (CST) and Carlos Martinez of the Autonomous Confederation of Trade Union Unity.

The press releases issued by these organizations not only highlight that the allegations against Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited are absolutely unfounded, but also reject all doubts expressed against the role played by these trade unions in the defense of the rights of their affiliated workers.

“We are amazed by the slander being spread about freedom of association at the sugar mill and brewery company because, in case you don’t know, there are five unions at Ingenio San Antonio, which are legally registered with the Ministry of Labor, and we have all signed a collective agreement in force that sets out the benefits this company is granting to us workers, not just this year but ever since the company was founded in 1890”, stated the “Faustino Martínez” Union.

“Ingenio San Antonio is in fact the economic lung by way of which our city breathes. The great socioeconomic improvements achieved have derived from Ingenio San Antonio, and that is why with great honor we declare hasty the campaign launched by organizations like UITA, ANAIRC and the FLOR DE CAÑA boycott group because they are attempting to leave aside the conquests we have achieved, putting at risk scholarships, professional technicians, food provisions, medical care and, in short, Chichigalpa’s progress,” stated the declaration of the Democratic Workers’ Union.

The “Ronald Altamirano” Revolutionary Sandinista Workers’ Union also joined the unions’ rejection of this defamatory campaign against NSEL.

“Members of UITA and ANAIRC, before making false accusations, we invite you to know more in depth our social vindications, such as a hospital for us workers and for our families, a unique experience in Latin America, a school for our children, who subsequently receive college scholarships and many other benefits laid down in our Collective Agreement,” stated the press release of the Ronald Altamirano Union.

To make known the truth about this disease, Nicaragua Sugar has established a website titled “Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited and Chronic Kidney Failure” at the following address: www.laverdadnsel.com.
Nicaragua Sugar’s official website also contains extensive information on the company’s production practices and Corporate Social Responsibility policy. The address of this website is: www.nicaraguasugar.com.

Other interesting links are:
www.youtube.com/grupopellas
http://laverdadchichigalpa.wordpress.com/