WOMEN BANANA WORKERS OF LATIN AMERICA, THE CARIBBEAN, AND WEST AFRICA MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME
Women trade unionists and small producers from the banana industry in Latin America, the Windward Islands, Ghana and Cameroon will meet on February 24th and 25th to exchange their experiences within the household, workforce and labour movement. The meeting will precede the second global conference of the World Banana Forum (WBF) in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on the 28th and 29th of February 2012.
On February 26th the meeting will extend to involve the participation of wider stakeholders including representatives of multinational fruit companies, supermarkets, certification bodies and consumer organisations, enabling multi-stakeholder dialogue on, and proposals towards, the improvement of conditions for women across the global banana industry.
Iris Munguia, Coordinator of COLSIBA (the Coordinating Body of Latin America Banana and Agro-industrial workers) states: ‘Women trade unionists and small producers have high expectations of this meeting. They consider the dialogue between women working in banana plantations on different continents to be of paramount significance as a medium to learn about their social and labour union issues while building joint work strategies to improve their quality of life.
The meeting will also provide a unique opportunity to talk with representatives of the plantation owners for whom these women work. This dialogue offers the opportunity to develop as Common Agenda to address and solve the identified problems that affect women on a global level. Given that women have always had a willingness towards dialogue and a sense of responsibility to comply with the agreements that result from this dialogue, this meeting promises to be very fruitful.”
For further information on the Global Meeting of Women Banana Workers and the other activities of the Working Group (WG03) on Labour Rights of the World Banana Forum, please contact the WG03 Coordinating Committee via e-mail wbf.wg03@gmail.com
Alternatively, visit their website.