Human rights organizations and MEPs claim that European companies are using Cuban workers in conditions of semi-slavery. On Wednesday, the NGO …
Human rights organizations and MEPs claim that European companies are using Cuban workers in conditions of semi-slavery.
On Wednesday, the NGO Prisoners Defenders (with the support of Human Rights Watch) accused, among others, a holiday cruise giant, MSC cruises of taking advantage of this situation.
They say they have evidence that has been presented to the International Criminal Court.
Javier Larrondo, director of Prisoners Defenders says: “We have a lot of proof. These documents detail the terrible conditions of Cuban workers abroad. For example, the confiscation of their property (including documents) and a ban on returning to Cuba for eight years, keeping away these workers from their little children, if they abandon their jobs or fail to return to Cuba at the end of their contracts. But we also have Cuban legislation (which confirms that). We also have work certificates from Selecmar that lends Cuban workers (as human force) for luxury cruises and withholds 80% of the workers’ wages and (we also have) certificates from the Cuban Ministry of the Interior proving these allegations. All this is ratified by more than 1111 complaints.”
Euronews has tried to bring the accusations to the attention of MSC but has so far not received a response.
The sale of services by Cuba’s so-called ‘international missions’, includes medical and health services, but also the provision of sail crews.
Much of the money obtained, however, does not go to the workers, but to the Cuban government.
According to one of the European Parliament’s vice-presidents, Dita Charanzova, this scandal cannot be tolerated in Europe: “The European Union has a framework agreement with Cuba and it was actually the European Parliament that had a condition during the ratification process of this agreement, which was a strong Human Rights clause. I think it is really now the time to properly implement and enforce this agreement. And I think that these cases demonstrate the urgency for the European Union to have a ban on forced labor.”
The income international Cuban missions generate has been the main source of revenue for the Cuban Government abroad since at least 2005.
