Haiti - Social : The union of BRANA obtained the support of an international coalition
SYTBRANA, the new Workers Union of the Brasserie Nationale d'Haiti (BRANA, Heineken), informed that its union activity within the largest brewer of Haiti, is threatened, as well as job security due to outsourcing contracts. In addition, it highlights numerous violations of basic rules of health and safety.
In order to help the union of the BRANA, the Confédération des Travailleurs et Travailleuses des Secteurs Public et Privé (CTSP), one of the most important trade unions in Haiti, appealed to the support of Teamsters Canada, of the Quebec Federation of Labour (QFL) and the Canadian Labour Congress, to defeat these employer actions unacceptable.
In response and international solidarity, Teamsters Canada has brought together an expansive coalition including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the International Union of Food Workers' Associations (IUFWA). These organizations represent all brewery unions in the world, including those from Heineken owner of the BRANA. They have decided to ban together to form a coalition in order to support unionization and comply with human rights in Haiti. Teamsters Canada also offered training sessions and tools to members of SYTBRANA during a visit to Haiti last January. "We share common values and goals with Haitian workers [...] SYTBRANA faces the same challenges as Teamsters, despite the distance and different culture," declared Robert Bouvier, the president of Teamsters Canada.
