US take Guatemala to arbitration for anti-union violence
It took over six years of a tortuous and hard fought legal battle, but Guatemalan workers have finally reasons to celebrate.
Today the United States has agreed to take Guatemala to international arbitration for violating workers´ rights under the DR-CAFTA (Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement).
It is the very first time in history that one country has sought international arbitration against another for a violation of labour standards.
The dispute started back in April 2008, when six Guatemalan unions and the AFL-CIO filed a complaint with the US Office of Trade raising a number of serious concerns, including trade union violence.
The petition argued that Guatemala failed to enforce its own labour laws and its commitments to respect, promote and realise core worker´s rights.
http://www.ituc-csi.org/us-take-guatemala-to-arbitration
