Ex-employees of INTUR decide to continue legal actions

A large group of ex-employees who filed a complaint against Tourist Industries (INTUR), decided to continue legal action against the company in pursuit of their rights as workers. Between January 19 and February 28 of 2004, INTUR, the owner of Burger King, Churchés Chicken, Little Caesar´s, Popeyes, Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins franchises in Honduras, unjustly fired these 27 employees from the first three franchises listed, and to this day still owes them just compensation.

On the 18th of March the ex-employees decided to file official legal charges against the company, after getting fed up with the tedious and unhelpful administrative process at the Secretary of Labor.

On the 6th of September the new legal attorney of the ex-employees iniciated a meeting, explaining to them the current legal situation of their case as well as the steps that she had taken in order to advance in their claim for workers´ rights. At the end of the meeting, the large majority decided to continue with the case in order to set a precedent that worker´s will not give up their rights to large companies.

After being shown all aspects of their case, those attending the meeting were angry that INTUR´s legal attorney, Alfredo Saavedra, had only offered them 60% of what the company legally owes them, thinking that the ex-employees, because of their immediate financial need, would then let their claim against the company go.

Correa de Morales, the employees´ legal attorney, pointed out that desperation had forced a few of the employees to accept the 60% being offered by Saavedra, "after the meeting, however, they gave me their vote of confidence and said that they would continue with the claim." She added that Saavedra´s "offer" was a clear sign that INTUR has realized the rights that the employees have. "As the legal attorney for INTUR, he knows that they are in the right and recognizes their legal rights as well. He is beginning to see that in effect, they have him."

Correa informed the ex employees that the official who received their claim from the court expressed that he had not been able to locate the owner of INTUR, Eduardo Kafati. "The owner doesn´t want anything to do with these people (ex-employees) and thinks he can get around the court system. This leaves us to look at the economic power of those that we are up against," stated the attorney.

She goes on to say that this official has been very diligent in looking for Kafati, but has made little progress. Correa has now asked him to point out in a legal document that Kafati has not been found. It can be implied that INTUR is hiding from what is required of them by law. Despite the fact that Kafati and his lawyers are aware of the demand, no one from INTUR has come forward because they do not want to deal with it, said Morales.

Click here to join our email campaign to support the rights of the workers.