INTUR letter

Send in your email protest to support Honduran workers

27 employees were fired without just cause or compensation by transnational company, INTUR who owns Burger King, Little Caesars, Church´s Chicken, Popeyes, Dunkin´ Donuts and Baskin Robbins in Honduras. Employees were refused proper documentation needed in order for their rights to be recognized. Ministry of Labor looks the other way and does nothing to insure the employees rights. Current Minister of Labor also works for the law firm that represents INTUR.

ACT NOW!!!

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To the Corporate Owners of: Burger King, Baskin
Robbins, Popeye´s, Church´s Chicken, Dunkin Donuts, and Little Caesar´s,

This past January, 27 employees from Church´s Chicken, Burger King and Little Caesar´s were fired without reason and without severance pay in Honduras, in violation of Honduran law.  These three franchises, along with Baskin Robbins, Popeye´s, and Dunkin Donuts
are all owned by one company in Honduras called INTUR. S.A. (Tourist Industries of Honduras).

I understand, by the legal policies and assurances that your company stands by, that you too, desire for all employees carrying your company´s name to receive fair treatment and have their rights respected.

I am writing you, to ask you to guarantee that all companies which share your franchise name follow the legal guidelines of employee treatment that your company upholds, as well as the laws of the countries in which these companies operate.

The Ministry of Labor in Honduras requires employers to pay their employees a certain amount of money for each month they worked when they are fired for no wrongdoing. Some of the employees who were recently fired had worked for the fast-food chains for nearly 6 years and are owed up to $1,500, which for many of these individuals adds up to more than half a year's salary.  These employees were taken advantage of, and
were misled by company lawyers when seeking compensation.  We ask that the rights of these employees, 95% of whom are living in  poverty, be protected, and their families be provided for.  Here are some of the employee´s responses after losing their jobs:

"Still to this day, I do not know why they fired me.  Personally, this has affected me a lot because I am a single mother with three children.  My mother depends on me as well.  I just want justice to be done because we have waited a long time.  I want them (the company)
to help me because I own a small home and I still owe the city for it.  I can´t make payments right now because I don´t have the money and the city is charging me daily interest.  I have hope that God and our Lord Jesus Christ will be able to help us."   
-Lorena Valle

"On January 20, 2004, at 11:45am, the area manager, David Castra, told me to leave the restaurant.  I went outside and asked him why he had taken me out.  He told me that I was fired.  I asked him why and he responded that company no longer needed my services. 
I asked him for a letter of dismissal and he told me not worry because the check would be with the lawyer Savedra.  We were all transferred to the lawyer´s office, who told us that he knew nothing about our case..  I don´t have any way to feed my children now." 
-Jessica Baquedano

Thank you for your time and for caring about your franchise´s employees throughout the world.  I trust that you will respond to the appropriate parties involved to make right the situation.

Best wishes in your company´s future