N° 112 / 1 October 2000
In memoriam Emilio Maspero
In memoriam Emilio Maspero
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On 31 May last died our friend Emilio Maspero Auguadra, general secretary of the Central Lationoamericana de Trabajadores - CLAT and vice-president of the WCL.
The WCL wishes to seize the opportunity of the presence of his wife, Acacia Fernandez, in Brussels to organise a religious ceremony in grateful memory of a man who devoted his life to the protection of the workers and peoples.
The celebration will take place on Friday 6 October 2000 at 19:00 at the head office of the ACV-CSC, AEROPOLIS building, Chaussée de Haecht 579 in 1031 Schaerbeek, Brussels.
Media Seminar
Why is it that the media take little or no interest in trade union information and how can this be changed? Why is it that the trade union, in spite of the unique information it provides, does not succeed in convincing the receivers of information: newspapers, radio, television?
These questions were the centre of the activities and debates during the media seminar the WCL conducted on 11-15 September 2000 at Ter Nood (Overijse), a first initiative of its kind.
Eighteen participants, in charge of the press department in their respective trade unions, from Europe, Africa and Asia exchanged experiences and outlined methodically and step by step the information policy of their organisations: explanation on the way information is provided, analysis of the kind of information that is sent to the media and of the kind of information that lands in trade union publications which also reach the media, and definition of the internal and external factors clogging the media channels.
The participants told concretely about a number of positive and negative experiences in the field of information supply. In a role play, going to a journalist with a real dossier, they tried to discover the strong and the weak points in the use of trade union information. The journalists present from newspapers, radio, television, agencies and individual media organs were the receivers on this occasion. The debate, reactions and exchange of views went to show very clearly that information, communication and public relations are very different things within an organisation. The lecture on the external information policy of the ILO confirmed this. It was stressed, for instance, that the importance, relevance and particularity of trade union information consist in distinguishing clearly between these functions. Other factors, too, make it possible to remove the obstacles, viz: the information policy (ensure credibility - firmness - availability - transparency - ...) and international co-operation. In this respect the differences between the organisations in the matter of the relations they maintain with the media depend on the political context. That is why exchanges of experiences must remain possible in future. That way the trade unions can help each other and act as an intermediate link in the spreading of information from the WCL and all its affiliates. Besides the obstacles there are also strong points, eg the fact that trade unions have a wealth of information at their disposal, call on their experts and take part in meetings with employers’ organisations that are involved in a country’s economic policy.
The seminar did not lead to formal conclusions; it rather examined the co-operation possibilities.
Meeting NGOs/IMF-World Bank
On the initiative of president Vaclav Havel, the WCL general secretary was invited to attend in Prague a meeting-debate between NGOs, the IMF and the World Bank. During this meeting the WCL pointed out that free and democratic trade unions were also part of the civil society and that the Bretton Woods institutions had to consult with them as such. Willy Thys stressed that the real eradication of poverty and the reduction of the debt burden of the poorest countries were priorities to the WCL.
He insisted that the IMF and the World Bank should suit the action to the word. In conclusion he asked when and how both institutions would take into consideration, in their policy to relieve the debt burden, a number of factors like the social effects of the privatisation process without forgetting, like in the past, the unemployment insurance, the pensions and the family allowances.
5 October: International Teachers’ Day
Teachers open up new horizons
Teachers, as responsible intellectuals, and also as professional guides for the young, have the moral constraint to explore new horizons and to open up to the social, cultural and technological changes that will shape our common future.
The WCT therefore welcomes the motto of the international teachers’ day on 5 October this year: Teachers open up new horizons —for it allows to sensitize public opinions, policy-makers, and the teachers themselves, on the teachers’ crucial contribution to a fairer, more peaceful society for all.
It would be fair to recall that teachers do not always and everywhere enjoy equal means to carry out their mission. Major expectations, like the one on basic education, for instance, were not fulfilled. Poor countries continue to reduce their (already meager) education budgets in order to pay for the foreign debt. The repeated promises trumpeted by the so-called world leaders, who ambition to rule the world, are less and less meaningful as it is clear that they will never be executed. Even notorious economists are now wondering if it wouldn’t be time to question the goal of economic progress and to foster a true model of development backed by the whole world community, with a view to narrow (and not to widen) the gap between poor and rich, between those who know and those who don’t. The new horizons should be explored, among others, by fostering, at early stages of education, a culture of responsibility, opening, tolerance and solidarity. And this is a colossal duty for teachers around the world. This is why they deserve the respect and recognition that millions of them still lack today.
On the occasion of the international day of teachers, the WCT render homage to many colleagues around the world, who carry on filling with hope the hearts and minds of the young, sometimes in hard and unfair conditions, for a meager wage and in hardly humane working conditions.
International Co-operation in Africa
On 11-14 July, Cotonou (Benin) was the venue of a seminar conducted by the WCL’s African regional organisation DOAWTU in co-operation with the ACV-CSC from Belgium and Wereldsolidariteit. The seminar was an opportunity for the delegations to inaugurate the new building of the confederation CNTB.
The purpose of the seminar was to set the priorities for the development of the national DOAWTU affiliates and to plan the activities for the next two years. Around fifty trade union experts discussed the current developments in their respective countries as well as the steps trade unions should take to effectively respond to these developments: organisation of the workers, development of a social dialogue at company, branch and national levels, a well-organised administration, a clear communication using modern means such as E-mail and the Internet, etc.
Africa may be a continent in which poverty, discrimination and social injustice prevail, the trade unions seem to be determined to change this in favour of the workers and women workers. They are building more and more organisations able to commit themselves, in a structural way and in the medium run, to the interests of the workers while assuming responsibility for the social and economic development of their countries. Financial autonomy and independence of politics, authorities and employers are essential elements in this work. International solidarity like the one from the ACV-CSC and from Wereldsolidariteit proves to be an indispensable backup in this respect.
Bangladesh
A forty-eight-hour strike has been called for by SKOP (a conglomeration of National Centres of Workers) on 11 and 12 September 2000, throughout the country to press upon the Government to accept its 8-point charter demands, such as National Minimum Wages, Declaration of Wages Commissions award and implementation of the same enactment of democratic labour laws etc. As usual, BBSF is playing the pioneering role to organise this action. Quite a good number of its leaders and activists are now passing busy days undertaking tours in different industrial belts in the country for preparatory work.
A tragic incident took place in a Garment factory (Globe Knittings) of Dhaka City in the night following 27 August 2000, killing 12 workers. Of them 10 are women workers. The ill-fated workers died of suffocation. As there was no alternate exit in the factory the workers could not come out of the factory at the critical moment. Most of the Garments factories in Bangladesh lack safety measures. Working conditions therein are highly hazardous as these lack adequate space, wide stair case and emergency exit. In addition, no training for the workers on fire safety is arranged by the factory owners.
ACP-EU: Convention of Cotonou
The WCL, the DOAWTU and the CLAT took part in the 22nd meeting of economic and social circles EU/ACS (Brussels 13-15 September 2000). The meeting was an opportunity to gain a better insight into the Convention of Cotonou, which will substitute for the Convention of Lomé IV as from 2001, and into the role of the social actors, among whom the trade unions, in the application of the Convention. The WCL insisted again on the recognition and effective participation of the trade unions. The WCL, the ETUC and the ICFTU compiled a guide, reflecting the trade union position to the Convention of Cotonou.
The guide is available at the WCL secretariat.
At the end of the meeting, the participants passed a resolution on respect for democracy on the Fiji Islands.
Human rights violations - update
GUATEMALA
The CGTG (Central General de Trabajadores de Guatemala) and other trade unions that are part of the UGT (Union Guatemalteca de Trabajadores) presented a platform of demands to the president of the republic. They insist on a public job creation programme and on the application of the law and of the international conventions related to trade union freedom, collective bargaining and other trade union rights. At the moment of the creation of the National Forum, in October 1999, the current president had promised to see to it that these laws and standards would be applied during his term of office.
The WCL was recently informed that several journalists from Suchitepequez are victims of death threats, harassment, defamation and slander. The orders are said to have come from Carlos Humberto Orellana Chavez, member of the government from the Partido Frente Republicano Guatemalteco and mayor of Mazatenango, assisted by Fredy Briones, former member of the security army, and Carlos Hernandez Rubio, member of parliament.
CHILE
The WCL has urged the Chilean authorities to see to it that the national legislation is in line with the ILO trade union freedom conventions. Last year, Chile ratified conventions nos 87 and 98, but the national legislation has to be adapted without delay because it runs counter to the standards Chile adopted.
The new government constituted an economic and social advisory council, but the CAT (Central Autonoma de Trabajadores), affiliated to the WCL-CLAT, was excluded from this tripartite body.
The WCL keeps urging the government to recognise the CAT, which was freely constituted by the Chilean workers.
COLOMBIA
By letter to the Colombian president the WCL has condemned the murder of Clovis Florez, president of the peasants’ organisation AGROCOSTA, department of Cordoba. It protested against the fact that the government once again did not fulfil its obligation to make sure that human rights are respected and the trade union leaders protected.
Schedule of activities
4/10 meeting foundations ISF - Financial Committee
5/10 extraordinary Executive Committee meeting
6/10 Mass for Emilio Maspero
5-7/10 subregional seminar on social protection - ILO Zagreb
6-7/10 European Section Brussels
10/10 FIIS Board of Directors Breda
16-20/10 WCL Confederal Board
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containing brief trade union messages, edited by the press department of the WCL.
Responsible Editor: Willy Thys (e-mail: Willy.Thys@cmt-wcl.org)
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