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Article

20 Apr 2017

Author:
Witness for Peace (US)

Witness for Peace Condemns the Attack of Union Organizers in Choluteca, Honduras

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…On April 15th, Moisés Sánchez and his brother, Misael, were brutally attacked by four as yet unidentified assailants while conducting their work as labor organizers in the city of Choluteca, in southern Honduras…Moisés is the Secretary General of the the sub-section of the Union of Agroindustrial Workers (STAS, for its initials in Spanish) that organizes workers who work for Melon Export, S.A., a prominent company owned by the Irish conglomerate Fyffes. Misael, who suffered deep facial wounds from a machete blow, is also active in the organization…Although the assailants have not yet been identified – a legal process is underway – Moisés reports that the attack was clearly motivated by his role as an organizer: “They knew perfectly well who I am. They told me that if I continued doing what I’m doing, I would face the consequences. They threatened me openly.”…Melon workers in Choluteca reported to the Witness for Peace team that attempts at organizing are regularly been met with threats and disruption, including some workers having been fired for their part in organizing. The melon workers in Choluteca allege that they are regularly denied wages, made to purchase their own working gear at the cost of approximately a week’s wages, exposed to harmful chemicals, and denied medical and other benefits…FESTAGRO and STAS have called for a boycott of Fyffes-grown melons, 80% of which are exported to the United States...

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