The maquilas in the garment industry have traditionally been viewed as a sector with limited opportunities for trade unions to advance in, given the global nature of operations and the low level of unionisation in many of the countries where they are located. It was, however, precisely this global nature, the precarious labour conditions and the huge organisational challenges that led trade unions to team up across borders through trade union networks. These unions set up a regional network, which later went global, to tackle structural weaknesses, coordinate campaigns, tap into power resources and make strategic choices. The article seeks to identify the abilities these trade unions were able to develop and to reflect on lessons learned, structures and future challenges.

Download the full study here:
Building Power in Global Networks: The International Union League in Central America
http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/13862.pdf

See also
Weaving a union network around the garment sector – An example from Central America
http://www.europe-solidaire.org/ecrire/?exec=article&id_article=44884

Acumulación de poder en redes globales: el caso de la Liga Sindical Internacional en América Central
https://www.fes.de/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=31075&token=eebec1ef33c30c133c90e5a7e79fff7c21c9849d

Gilberto García Dueñas and Karla Molina Montalvo

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