ELIAS SANTANA:

ELIAS FRANCISCO SANTANA is the Secretary for Youth Affairs of the Ecuadorian rural workers and small farmers' organisation FENACLE. He was sacked from his job in a banana plantation for trying to organise a trade union and is now working full time for FENACLE in his home province of El Oro, where he is responsible for organising banana workers. His work is funded by the "Union-to-Union" project managed by Banana Link and funded by the Department for International Development, CAFOD and Trocaire.

Ecuador and the banana industry:

The Ecuadorian banana export industry is the biggest in the world, employing over three hundred thousand workers, of which less than 1% are organised. Ecuador is leading the 'race to the bottom' in the banana industry which is being driven by the British supermarkets; as companies chase ever cheaper supplies of bananas wage levels are pushed down, working conditions eroded and independent trade union organisations threatened throughout Latin America.

Speaker tour arrangements: Elias will be visiting the North East from the 30th March until the 2nd April to encourage and further develop solidarity between FENACLE and other Latin American banana worker's unions at the one end of the international supply chain, and British trade union activists at the other.

If you would like to host Elias at your event or meeting please contact Beth Farhat at the TUC on 0191 2323175 or 07876746817 alternatively e-mail bfarhat@tuc.org.uk. For further information please visit http://www.bananalink.org.uk