Cuban authorities use the following methods in their struggle against trade unions:

• Infiltration of the union, as by secret service officers (Seguridad del Estado). There is a special department created to fulfill this aim.
• Six leaders are still in jail and one has conditional release. Conditions behind bars are very difficult. Cells are full of insects, without light, and activists are held with common prisoners who attack them. These attacks are inspired by the secret service. Beside, medical care is denied, even in difficult situations.
• They are beaten, scared, insulted at home and in the streets, often by Brigades of Rapid Response.
• They are fired from their jobs or employment is denied due to political reasons. As the only employer is the government, discrimination for political reason often occur. This is specially seen in case the potential employer is a foreign company, as employment is only possible through the state own company “Cubalse”. Cubalse decide who is to be employed, receives the salary in hard currency from the company and pays Cuban employees with Cuban pesos. Access to these contracts by the employee is forbidden, and he does not know how much the foreign company is paying. Cubalse pays to their employees the average national wage – about 12 euro plus sometime a bonus.
• Bureaucratic and administrative difficulties are created and promotion is denied.
• Telephones are damaged and calls interrupted.
• Literature is confiscated, privacy of mail is violated.
• Revisions and confiscation of goods.
• Physical and oral violence
• Home arrests.

/based on: www.movimentosindical.org/