On March 27, at least 9 workers of Sur Agrícola de Honduras (Suragroh), a melon producer and subsidiary of the transnational fruit company Fyffes/Sumitomo, were admitted to an emergency clinic after being poisoned by an ammonia gas leak.
Last year, also in March, more than 10 workers were poisoned by a similar ammonia gas leak.
Exposure to ammonia in the air can cause eye, skin and throat irritation. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia can cause blindness, lung damage or death.
The IUF calls on Fyffes:
- To provide a safe and healthy workplace in compliance with ILO conventions
- To work with STAS and relevant government officials to investigate the cause of the leak, to ensure remediation and to establish protocols to prevent future leaks
- To guarantee that proper medical treatment is provided to the affected workers free of charge
- To ensure that no retaliatory action is taken against the workers poisoned by the gas leak
Tomás Membreño, a representative of IUF affiliate STAS, stated, “The affected colleagues are doing better; however, we have information that the company is investigating who notified the media and denounced what happened. We are very concerned about possible retaliation and as an organization we will continue to monitor the situation and support the workers, including denouncing any illegal activity by the company.”
