Sexual harassment, safety and health and rights issues top agenda at Chiquita meeting

Meeting in Costa Rica on November 5 2009 in the latest of the twice-yearly meetings to review the operation of the IUF/COLSIBA/Chiquita regional agreement delegates from all three organizations took an in depth look at tackling sexual harassment within the company’s operations.

A draft proposal for an eventual addendum to the IUF/COLSIBA/Chiquita regional agreement focussing on this issue was tabled by the IUF and will now be subject to work by a small task force. This will prelude the next full discussion and a possible agreement at the next review committee meeting on April 28, 2010.

Additional issues at the meeting included occupational safety and health and concerns about ongoing workers rights issues and conditions of work in a number of the companies operations and particularly in suppliers notably in Nicaragua.

The establishment of a local union/management “commission” in Guatemala was also agreed to explore the range of issues raised there.

A set of the “action points” agreed at the meeting as well as a list of those who were present can be found by clicking here.