Article
C. [Central] America lags on labour rights
...workers at a Guatemalan factory [owned by Nobland] say they have been punched, threatened and followed by cars with darkened windows since forming a union in 2003...Labour activists say Central America still has not done enough to meet conditions for a free trade agreement with the United States...Factory manager Young Ha Kim accepts there were problems when the factory opened but describes a recent accusation that he hit a worker in the face as impossible...After years of stalled negotiations at Nobland, the union and management may be close to agreeing a new contract...activists say the recent advances stem from leverage from image-sensitive U.S. retailers like J.C. Penney and Target, who have production at the factory.