Representatives at the meeting included: David Eduardo Soto Oliva, a union leader from the National Federation of Unions of Guatemalan State Workers (Federación Nacional de Sindicatos de Trabajadores del Estado de Guatemala[FENESTEG]); Danilo Flores, coordinator of the Union Platform on Labor Justice in El Salvador within the Foundation to Study the Application of the Law (Fundacion de Estudios para la Aplicación de Derecho); Yadira Minero, coordinator for the Women Workers’ Program of Center on Womens’ Rights in Honduras (Centro de Derechos de las Mujeres); Miguel Ángel Ruíz Estrada, General Secretary of the multi‐sector Labor Union Confederation – “Jose Benito Escobar” in Nicaragua (Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores “Jose Benito Escobar” [CST‐JBE]); Alicia Vargas Obando, Secretar

Eva Seidelman, ILRF Program Assistant                        

The La Loma coal mine owned by the Alabama based company, Drummond, is a major danger zone for workers. On October 30, 2009, yet another worker died on the job due to a work accident, the third death at a Drummmond owned-mine since March 2009. 16 workers producing for Drummond have died within the short period Drummond has maintained operations in Colombia.

The possible effects of the recession are not new to Kenyans.  We have had several recessions in this country.  In the 1990s, liberalization coupled with bad governance and corruption crippled agricultural and manufacturing sectors that had been in recession since 1986.  As a result, Kenyans experienced reduced access to basic social services due to decreased government revenue allocations, rising levels of unemployment especially among women, development of precarious forms of livelihoods in the informal and formal sectors, de-industrialization, reduction of workers' earnings and loss of state revenues.  And to bail out the investors, the government relaxed control and regulation.  Most notable was the amendments in the Finance Act No.

Recently, Chiquita Brand International and its executives agreed to a plea deal with the US Department of Justice after coming forward to admit that it had funded organization accused of killing trade union leaders. Chiquita was able to escape any serious criminal liability by agreeing to pay a $25 million fine.