2016 ITUC Global Rights Index - Paraguay
| Publisher | International Trade Union Confederation |
| Publication Date | 9 June 2016 |
| Cite as | International Trade Union Confederation, 2016 ITUC Global Rights Index - Paraguay, 9 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5799aa5dc.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Anti-union measures at DINAC: In June 2015 a strike organised by the National Civil Aviation Authority's (Dirección Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil – -DINAC) Trade Union Organisation led to retaliatory measures by the Paraguayan government and the airport authorities.
The president of DINAC, Luis Aguirre, dismissed three of the trade union leaders, who have protected status because of their trade union role, and ordered the transfer of over 20 civil servants for taking part in the strike.
Furthermore, one of the trade union leaders, Justo Alfonso, was charged with "obstructing air traffic" and another ten workers were charged with "disturbing public peace".
Finally, a labour judge declared the strike illegal, violating due process and authorising the presentation of proof beyond what was initially required. The ruling was riddled with irregularities, which led the workers' defence team to request that it be declared null and void.
Drivers dismissed for forming a union: In June 2015, the transport company La Limpeña SRL, Line 49, dismissed 51 drivers who formed a union to improve working conditions for all the workers. Some days later, the dismissed drivers crucified themselves with nails and staged a hunger strike in front of the company's workshops to demand a response to their labour grievances.
Anti-union persecution at Citibank: In July 2015, the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) denounced the abuses perpetrated by Citibank against Oscar Ricardo Paredes Dürrling, an ex-employee of Citibank N.A. in Paraguay and former Executive Committee member of the Citibank employees' union Sindicato de Empleados del Citibank Paraguay.
According to the TUCA, Citibank did everything in its power, over a number of years, to force Paredes Dürrling to resign, deploying a range of illegal and unconstitutional strategies. As a result, the trade unionist is now receiving no pay and no retirement pension, after 34 years of service, and is currently fighting a legal battle to assert his rights through the labour courts.
