Guatemala: Over Two Hundred Municipal Employees Dismissed

The ITUC has joined with its Guatemalan affiliates, the CUSG, CGTG and UNSITRAGUA, in voicing strong protest at the unfair dismissal of over 200 municipal workers in Jalapa between 30 April and 4 May.

According to the information received by the ITUC, municipal workers in Guatemala are confronted with constant violations of their fundamental labour rights, in breach of the Labour Code, the Constitution and the ILO Core Conventions. The municipal mayor of Jalapa, Elmer Calderón, of the Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza party (UNE), has, moreover, announced that he will not allow 23 workers to return to their posts in spite of a labour court ruling ordering their reinstatement.

In a letter to the Guatemalan authorities, the ITUC, which is supporting the fight of the CUSG and the Jalapa municipal workers’ union, expressed grave concern at the attitude of the mayor of this municipality and many others who have dismissed the staff on their payroll following the change in administration.

"The President and the Labour Minister must intervene immediately to put an end to this unacceptable refusal to comply with a court decision and the blatant violation of the collective agreement," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. "It is inadmissible that workers are being dismissed and replaced with retired employees and relatives of the municipal councillors who supported the electoral campaign."