AFL-CIO Files Complaint Against Guatemala Over Unions (Update1)

By Mark Drajem

April 23 (Bloomberg) -- The AFL-CIO accused Guatemala of failing to meet the terms of a free-trade agreement by allowing companies to bust union organizing campaigns and not prosecuting murders of union members.

The complaint by the largest U.S. labor federation is the first under the Central American Free Trade Agreement and forces the Bush administration to decide whether to begin consultations on the case with Guatemala.

``There is a climate of terror for trade unionists,'' Thea Lee, the chief international economist at the AFL-CIO, said in an interview. ``But so far the Bush administration hasn't lifted a finger to enforce any of the labor chapters.''

The complaint says four union leaders or their family members have been killed this year, and many others have had death threats. Also, workers who attempt to join a union, bargain or strike are often fired, it said.

``The Department of Labor will thoroughly review and investigate these allegations,'' said Charlotte Ponticelli, deputy undersecretary of Labor for international affairs. A spokesman for the Guatemalan Embassy in Washington didn't return a telephone message.

The complaint was submitted as the Bush administration is pushing Congress to approve a similar trade accord between the U.S. and Colombia. U.S. labor groups argue that Colombia is the most dangerous nation in the world for union organizers, with 17 labor leaders killed just this year.

Labor Rights

Proponents say approving the agreement with Colombia would give the U.S. a new mechanism to improve labor rights in the South American nation. The AFL-CIO, which opposes the deal, argues that once the accord is approved, Colombia would have no incentive to continue to protect labor leaders.

``Once they take that vote, the pressure is off,'' Lee said. ``In fact, that seems to be what happened in Guatemala.''

Susan Aaronson, a professor at George Washington University and the author of a book on trade and human rights, said that, if the Bush administration wants to get Colombia approved, ``a positive step forward would be to take this complaint.''

``This will send an important signal about whether they should be trusted on labor rights,'' she said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Drajem in Washington at mdrajem@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: April 23, 2008 15:25 EDT