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Union campaign leads to agreement for fishers in Argentina
20 January 2010
Fishers in Argentina last week signed a collective agreement with their employers, bringing to a close years of union battle.
The 1400 fishers, represented by the ITF-affiliated Sindicato de Obreros Maritimos Unidos (SOMU) and based in the Mar del Plata region of Argentina, signed the agreement with factory ship employers on 12 January. The settlement is a significant victory, covering key jobs in the industry; for every fisher position, seven more are created on the ground in processing and other associated work.
The union was also due to sign a collective agreement covering fish processing workers in Mar del Plata on 15 January; the settlement was achieved by SOMU with the assistance of the ITF and other unions in the region.
Omar Suarez, SOMU general secretary, commented: “Fishing is a very important industry and finally after years of struggle we have won an agreement covering more than 1000 fishers. Now we need to bring our support to the port workers and others carrying out fish processing, many of whom are not earning a living wage. We are already working with fishing cooperatives to address this issue.”
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