Appeals Court Confirms Illegal Dismissal of Iberostar Union Officer

Posted to the IUF website 19-Nov-2007

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Nearly after a year after he was sacked for denouncing unsafe working conditions , an appeals court in the Spanish Canary Islands has confirmed that the dismissal of Antonio Garcia Ramos, union secretary for the FECOHT-CC.OO at the hotel and tourism transnational Iberostar, was illegal. The court upheld a May 21 Labour Court decision which the company had appealed, overturning the dismissal and ordering the union secretary's immediate reinstatement, full payment of back salary and payment of a 9,000 euro fine for violation of trade union rights. On November 26, the courts will be ruling on a complaint brought by the union against Iberostar for illegally intervening in workplace representation elections in January this year.

Ramos refused an offer from the company to drop his appeal against illegal dismissal in exchange for over 300,000 euros, and the FECOHT-CC.OO fought back with a campaign around the slogan "Our union cannot be bought!"

The union has thanked the many supporters who responded to the IUF appeal by sending messages to Iberostar, and is monitoring compliance with the appeals court decision.