The following information was provided in a 10 March 1998 telephone interview with the finances' sub-coordinator of the Unión de los Sindicatos de Trabajadores de Guatemala (UNSITRAGUA), a widely-known umbrella labour union. The sub-coordinator has worked for 20 years in the textile industry in Guatemala.

The sub-coordinator stated that Liztex is the biggest textile industry in Central America with plants in various locations within and outside of Guatemala. He mentioned that Liztex has its main office in Guatemala City and various branches within and outside the capital. He was unaware of the past or current existence of any union or syndicate at Liztex' main plant in Guatemala City but reported that various attempts at unionizing employees had been carried out in some of Liztex affiliated companies. Liztex workers had never approached UNSITRAGUA for affiliation.

The sub-coordinator also said that Liztex, which employs thousands of individuals, is known for its mistreatment of workers and its anti-union policy. He stated that plant employees work under camera surveillance and in what he defined as "subhuman conditions".

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Unión de los Sindicatos de Trabajadores de Guatemala (UNSITRAGUA), Guatemala City, 10 March 1998. Telephone interview with the finances' sub-coordinator.

Amnesty International Report.1992-1997.

Amnesty International. Urgent Action. Guatemala. 1992-1997.

Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.]. 1993-1997.

Central America Report [Guatemala]. 1990-1997.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 1990-1997. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 1990-1997. New York: Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.

Guatemala Human Rights Bulletin [Washington, DC].

Guatemala Human Rights Update [Washington, DC].

Latin American Regional Reports: Central America and Caribbean Report [London].

On-line search of news articles.

Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights. Yearly. Brussels: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

World Labour Report. 1993. Geneva: International Labour Office.

Trade Unions of the World. 1992-93. 3rd ed. Revised by Martin Upham. Essex: Longman Group UK.