The Latin American and Caribbean union leaders met online to define future trade union actions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The leaders agreed to devise tactics to continue their trade union work despite the lockdowns and paralysis of many industries.
The BWI Regional Presidium, comprised of the President of the Regional Committee, Saul Méndez Rodríguez from SUNTRACS-Panama and Vice Presidents Victor Hugo Brandán of UOCRA-Argentina, Paulo Borba of SINTRACONST-ES-Brazil, José Lopez of INTERGREMIAL-Colombia and Richenel Ilario of SEBI-Curaçao, instructed BWI to maximise the opportunities provided by different information and communication technologies (ICT) to exchange information.
The Brazilian MRV Network, Faber Castell Network, Cement Argos Network and BWI’s Peru and Brazil Working Groups also agreed to the idea.
Among the proposed actions to be taken and/or continued by the unions are: hold special negotiations to ensure workers’ incomes, update occupational health and safety (OSH) protocols, push for more women and youth proposals, strategic alliances, awareness and solidarity campaigns among regional trade unions on the protection of work and health, and the delivery of food bags and personal hygiene kits to COVID-19-affected workers.
This month, similar online meetings will take place among trade union leaders from BWI’s Regional Women's Committee, Regional Youth Committee and Statutory Groups at sub regional level for Andean Zone (Group 25), Southern Cone (Group 26) Brazil (Group 27), Central America (Group 28) and the Caribbean (Group 29).