A Korean and American capital company in Honduras is being accused by
union leaders and former employees of forcing its workers to wear
diapers in order to increase their productivity. Company representatives
have denied the allegations but an investigation is already under way.
Last Saturday, Daniel Duron, Secretary General of the General
Confederation of Workers, denounced the violation of labor rights
by Kyungshin-Lear Honduras Electrical Distribution Systems, accusing the
company of forcing its employees to wear adult diapers to avoid going
to the bathroom for their physiological needs. He added that the
employer doesn’t actually supply the diapers for its workforce, but that
the employees, especially the women, buy them themselves to avoid
leaving their work posts and risk losing their jobs. Duron based his
accusations on testimonies made by Kyungshin-Lear employees and urged
authorities to investigate.
Honduran Labor Minister, Jorge Bográn, told reporters that 30
inspectors are currently working on the case to verify the “accuracy of
the claim”. Edgardo Dumas, the legal representative of Kyungshin-Lear
dismissed the accusations as false and reckless, and claimed the company
has never violated labor law. The president of the Manufacturers’
Association of Honduras also told the press the allegations were false
and blamed the interference of unions from the United States “who want
to regain the jobs lost in their country”. However, Maria Galeano, a
worker who was fired in April after seven years of working
at Kyungshin-Lear, confirmed Daniel Duron’s claims. ”It’s embarrassing
to say one has to wear diapers because they don’t give you permission to
go to the bathroom, but there are a lot of employees who can confirm
this claim,” she told reporters.
Kyungshin-Lear Electrical Distribution Systems started operating in Honduras 10 years ago, and has around 3,500 employees.
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