Solidarity with workers in Morocco, following the death of a worker during a sit-in against AZURA
On the evening of Sunday, January 2, 2022, La Via Campesina received the tragic news of the death in Morocco of the agricultural worker Sabah Dinar, 30 years old, mother of four children. She was part of a group of workers who have been leading a sit-in for days in front of the headquarters of their company Azura, which is accused of not respecting labour and union rights. Dinar was hit by a car on the national road No. 1 that passes right next to the company headquarters in circumstances that are still unclear. The trade union FNSA, member of La Via Campesina, informed us that Azura had blocked the public space in front of its doors, turning it into a parking lot for its executives’ cars, in order to prevent or make it difficult for workers who demonstrate to do so safely. La Via Campesina calls for solidarity with Dinar and the Azura workers in mobilization.
This tragic event is one of a series of incidents to which workers in the Sousse Massa (the region around Agadir) are exposed. In particular, the company Azura has distinguished itself in recent months by refusing to engage in dialogue with workers and their representatives on working conditions. In particular, in December it dismissed a worker representative from a farm, without the agreement of the Labour Inspectorate, which is contrary to the Moroccan Labor Code. Azura then refused to attend the conciliation meetings convened by the Labour Inspectorate.
La Via Campesina calls on Azura, which claims to be a model of sustainable development, to comply with the requirements of Social Responsibility, which includes the respect of trade union rights, and also to take its responsibilities by compensating the family of Sabah Dinar (a widower and four orphans).
La Via Campesina calls on the company Azura to open a dialogue with the FNSA for the reinstatement of the dismissed workers’ representative and the resumption of work of the protesting employees.
La Via Campesina calls on the local Moroccan authorities to do what is necessary to solve the social problems of the workers in the region and to maintain the dialogue between the social partners.
La Via Campesina calls to support the Moroccan agricultural workers in the defense of their rights. It also calls to support the family of the deceased worker by a contribution to the following account
- Holder of the account : Mr. Hassan Dinar
- Name of the bank: Banque Populaire du Centre Sud
- Address of the agency:
- Banque Populaire du Centre Sud
- Agency of Ait Aamira
- Bd Hassan II
- Agadir
- IBAN : MA01 101 011 2111199532310002 17
- BIC Code: BCPOMAMCCEF
The bank account provided is that of the victim’s family and has been confirmed by FNSA, the local LVC member in the country. All your contributions will go directly to the family as they try to cope with the future after this tragic loss.
Solidarity is our strength! Solidarity is a challenge to all human rights defenders, and in particular to agricultural workers’ rights.