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September 8, 1995
September 11-13 (Monday - Wednesday) telephone company workers in El Salvador will strike to demand the rehiring of unjustifiably fired workers, the resignation of the phone company president and to win consideration of a worker proposal that would substitute the government plan for privatization with a true plan of modernization.
LaborUs proposal for privatization, which has been ignored, has four main points:
Other public employees unions may join the strike to confront the advance of ARENAUs neo-liberal privatization plan which, if executed, will enrich the Salvadoran elite and AT&T, gut services to poor people, lead to massive firings and bust the most organized unions in El Salvador - the public sector.
On August 18, fifteen ANTEL (telecommunication company) workers were dismissed without cause and the ANTEL unions (ASTA andASTTEL) suspect that more firings are scheduled for the near future. The president of ANTEL, Mr. Juan Jose Domenech, is also the president of ARENA, El SalvadorUs governing party. The unions claim that since Domenech was named president he has been committed to a plan to reduce the workforce by half, destroy the union, and then sell ANTEL to a foreign, private telecommunications company. The unions view the firings in the context of Domenech's ongoing campaign to encourage workers to quit.
Initially, Domenech promised 900.00 colones (U.S. $103 ) to each worker who decided to voluntarily retire from the company. When no one accepted the offer he raised it to $126 and then to $172. Still no one accepted. In March he changed the offer of departing pay to be equal to a 100% raise in the workers annual salary but not to exceed $482. This agreement was finalized in April, but was only accepted by 200 workers. In July the agreement was modified again with an offer of departing pay equal to a 125% raise in annual salary still with a ceiling of $482 and 100 workers accepted this offer. Meanwhile new jobs have been offered to ARENA family members including the daughter of Roberto D'Abuisson (the famed death squad leader and founder of ARENA) and the wife of ARENA Congressman Walter Araujo.
The head of personnel has managed the firings in an arbitrary, irresponsible and even sarcastic manner. No explanation has been given for the recent firings. Workers have been arbitrarily informed of the amounts they will receive for indemnization.
ASTTEL and ASTA presented their own modernization proposal for ANTEL to the Legislative Assembly last March 20th in an attempt to prevent the privatization of the telephone company. On May 25th, both unions were invited to the Economic and Agriculture Commission of the Legislature to give a detailed argument of the most important aspects of their proposal. The Commission agreed to invite board members of ANTEL to hear their perspective on the ASTTEL and ASTA proposal. However, this never took place.
On Friday, September 2, 1995 the union is said to have presented proof of corruption on the part of ANTEL management to the Attorney General's office.
The union has demanded that Domenech rehire all of the workers that have been dismissed and is calling on international solidarity to support their demands.
Other public sector unions confronting privatization including at Rosales Hospital, the only public hospital in San Salvador, may join the strike. SAMPLE FAX TO US EMBASSY:
September 11, 1995
Dear Ambassador Alan Flanagan,
As a United States citizen, I would like to bring to your attention an increasingly disturbing situation in El Salvador.
On August 18th, fifteen workers were arbitrarily fired from their jobs at ANTEL, the national telecommunications industry. This action was taken as part of a plan being orchestrated by the president of ANTEL, Juan Jose Domenech. The goal of this plan is to force the resignation of workers opposed to the privatization of ANTEL, thus making it easier to privatize the industry.
This situation is particularly concerning because while Domenech is directing the firing of innocent workers, he is at the sametime overseeing the hiring of family members of leaders of his political party, ARENA.
I therefore ask you to carefully consider this situation. The continuation of arbitrary firings will only serve to increase social unrest and further destabilize the economic situation in El Salvador.
For this reason, I request that you use your influence to convince Mr. Domenech to facilitate the re-hiring of the fifteen fired workers and urge him to discuss the proposal which workers have developed to modernize ANTEL with the unions and the Legislative Assembly. Thank you for your consideration.
September 8, 1995September 11-13 (Monday - Wednesday) telephone company workers in El Salvador will strike to demand the rehiring of unjustifiably fired workers, the resignation of the phone company president and to win consideration of a worker proposal that would substitute the government plan for privatization with a true plan of modernization.
LaborUs proposal for privatization, which has been ignored, has four main points:
- Reforming 2 laws governing telecommunications;
- Technological improvements
- Technical training for telecommunications workers; and,
- Financial reforms, specifically regarding the reinvestment of profits into the telecommunications system.
Other public employees unions may join the strike to confront the advance of ARENAUs neo-liberal privatization plan which, if executed, will enrich the Salvadoran elite and AT&T, gut services to poor people, lead to massive firings and bust the most organized unions in El Salvador - the public sector.
ACTION:
[material deleted]BACKGROUND
On August 18, fifteen ANTEL (telecommunication company) workers were dismissed without cause and the ANTEL unions (ASTA andASTTEL) suspect that more firings are scheduled for the near future. The president of ANTEL, Mr. Juan Jose Domenech, is also the president of ARENA, El SalvadorUs governing party. The unions claim that since Domenech was named president he has been committed to a plan to reduce the workforce by half, destroy the union, and then sell ANTEL to a foreign, private telecommunications company. The unions view the firings in the context of Domenech's ongoing campaign to encourage workers to quit.
Initially, Domenech promised 900.00 colones (U.S. $103 ) to each worker who decided to voluntarily retire from the company. When no one accepted the offer he raised it to $126 and then to $172. Still no one accepted. In March he changed the offer of departing pay to be equal to a 100% raise in the workers annual salary but not to exceed $482. This agreement was finalized in April, but was only accepted by 200 workers. In July the agreement was modified again with an offer of departing pay equal to a 125% raise in annual salary still with a ceiling of $482 and 100 workers accepted this offer. Meanwhile new jobs have been offered to ARENA family members including the daughter of Roberto D'Abuisson (the famed death squad leader and founder of ARENA) and the wife of ARENA Congressman Walter Araujo.
The head of personnel has managed the firings in an arbitrary, irresponsible and even sarcastic manner. No explanation has been given for the recent firings. Workers have been arbitrarily informed of the amounts they will receive for indemnization.
ASTTEL and ASTA presented their own modernization proposal for ANTEL to the Legislative Assembly last March 20th in an attempt to prevent the privatization of the telephone company. On May 25th, both unions were invited to the Economic and Agriculture Commission of the Legislature to give a detailed argument of the most important aspects of their proposal. The Commission agreed to invite board members of ANTEL to hear their perspective on the ASTTEL and ASTA proposal. However, this never took place.
On Friday, September 2, 1995 the union is said to have presented proof of corruption on the part of ANTEL management to the Attorney General's office.
The union has demanded that Domenech rehire all of the workers that have been dismissed and is calling on international solidarity to support their demands.
Other public sector unions confronting privatization including at Rosales Hospital, the only public hospital in San Salvador, may join the strike. SAMPLE FAX TO US EMBASSY:
September 11, 1995
Dear Ambassador Alan Flanagan,
As a United States citizen, I would like to bring to your attention an increasingly disturbing situation in El Salvador.
On August 18th, fifteen workers were arbitrarily fired from their jobs at ANTEL, the national telecommunications industry. This action was taken as part of a plan being orchestrated by the president of ANTEL, Juan Jose Domenech. The goal of this plan is to force the resignation of workers opposed to the privatization of ANTEL, thus making it easier to privatize the industry.
This situation is particularly concerning because while Domenech is directing the firing of innocent workers, he is at the sametime overseeing the hiring of family members of leaders of his political party, ARENA.
I therefore ask you to carefully consider this situation. The continuation of arbitrary firings will only serve to increase social unrest and further destabilize the economic situation in El Salvador.
For this reason, I request that you use your influence to convince Mr. Domenech to facilitate the re-hiring of the fifteen fired workers and urge him to discuss the proposal which workers have developed to modernize ANTEL with the unions and the Legislative Assembly. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,