N° 117-118 / 15 December - 1 January 2001
Romania : Congress of Cartel Alfa
Romania : Congress of Cartel Alfa
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On 23-25 November 2000, General Secretary Willy Thys attended the Congress of Cartel Alfa, the Romanian WCL affiliate. The Congress theme was "trade unionism in transition". The transformation of economic and social life in the country and its evolution imply that the trade unions are capable of protecting collectively the interests and rights of the wage-earners while rendering their members services that are better adapted to their needs. Despite the fact that the trade unions restructured rapidly after December 1989, there is a loss of affection for the trade union movement (the rate of unionisation dropped from 90 to 60%), which can be explained by the unchanged working conditions, the decreased number of jobs and the fall in buying power. Moreover, the trade unions have hardly succeeded in penetrating the private companies set up after 1989.
During the Congress, women trade unionists demanded greater participation and a proportional representation in the governing bodies; they obtained a presence in the Confederal Board and the General Council.
In conclusion of its proceedings the Congress adopted new statutes and elected the Board. Bogdan Hossu was re-elected President of the organisation.
Meeting between the WCL and the Chinese trade unions
The WCL seminar, attended by fourteen top leaders of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and fifteen delegates from the various continents, ended on 10 December. It dealt with the international labour standards and the forms of trade union organisation in an economy in transition towards privatisation. The seminar was divided into two parts: the first part was devoted to a study of the international labour standards and the requirements of trade union action in private companies, particularly in the free export zones. The study was carried out with the help of ILO exports. The second part consisted in visits to French, Dutch and Belgian companies, particularly Janssen Pharmaceutical, which has a branch in China.
In its conclusions the seminar stressed among other things that the main challenge to the trade unions consists in organising the workers both in private companies and in free export zones (there are around two thousand free export zones in 85 countries all over the world, employing around 27 million people). Another challenge: building solidarity through the advancement of the international labour standards (China has ratified twenty ILO conventions, and the ACFTU commits itself to making respect a maximum of labour standards).
In order to achieve this goal, trade unionists must develop strategies and actions such as educating, sensitising, training and unionising the workers (in China alone trade unions are present in approximately 180,000 companies employing 3,650,000 workers), engaging in collective bargaining (over seventy million Chinese workers are concerned by collective agreements the ACFTU helps conclude in 360,000 companies), negotiations and the social dialogue, trade action, strengthening the protection of the workers’ rights and interests, reinforcing the networks, links and international solidarity, strengthening the technical co-operation with the ILO.
It was the first time the Chinese confederation took part in such a multilateral exchange of experiences with trade union leaders from democratic countries.
Referendum in Venezuela open to criticism
The WCL and the CLAT have taken a very critical stand to the referendum that was organised on 3 December in Venezuela. On the pretext of fighting corruption in the trade unions, President Chavez wants to replace the existing trade unions by a single organisation. He can do this because during one year he has the right to reorganise the economy by decree.
The CLAT and the WCL admit that there is corruption in the trade union world and that ethics must prevail. They affirm, however, that the solution to a problem with democracy must always been sought in more democracy, not the other way round. The Trade Union Freedom Bill of the Venezuelan regime runs counter to the Venezuelan Constitution and violates the international ILO conventions nos 87 and 98 as well as all other international instruments protecting the human rights. The ILO has pronounced itself in the same sense.
Peace message in the Basque country
On Friday 1 December, WCL General Secretary Willy Thys addressed the Congress of the ELA-STV in the Basque Country. He pointed out the increase in social inequalities caused by globalisation and its neo-liberal ideology. He stressed the importance of a countervailing trade union power that is based on values but also makes demands and is capable of satisfying the needs of the workers in their companies and sectors, in the regions and at national level. This power should also be based on a model of society that is an alternative to neo-liberal capitalism. He reminded of the solidarity that has always united the WCL and the ELA, during the dictatorship and under the democratic regime, and of the joint rejection of violence. In conclusion, the WCL General Secretary rendered homage to José Miguel Leunda, who resigned as the organisation’s President.
Strike in Argentina: the WCL expresses solidarity
On 24 November, the WCL sent a message of solidarity on the occasion of the national 36-hour strike the Argentine trade unions called against the economic measures there were taken in the country «under the pressure of the international financial groups».
The WCL also condemned the repression against demonstrators and the proceedings instituted against trade union leaders
Cyprus: congress of DEOK
The 13th Congress of DEOK, one of the WCL affiliates on Cyprus, took place on 24-25 November 2000. The Congress discussed the activities report of the preceding Council as well as various problems confronting the members and the working class on Cyprus. The participants passed a number of resolutions.
The Congress re-elected Diomidous Diomides General Secretary.
Support of the workers in the Palestinian territories
The WCL is highly concerned about the recent and ongoing events in Palestine and about the growing violence between Israelis and Arabs, which is a serious threat to the peace process the Palestinian and Israeli authorities started in 1993 with the Oslo agreements. The WCL has always denounced any kind of pseudo-religious fanaticism and fundamentalism. In its opinion the armed conflict is no solution, and only a permanent dialogue and full respect for the agreements can ensure peace between Israel and Palestine. In this conflict the Palestinian people and workers are suffering terribly from these repeated human rights and trade union violations. That is why the WCL endorses the ILO’s recommendation to support the workers in the Palestinian territories and the appeal of Director-General Juan Somavia to the international organisations to intervene without delay, each in its own field of technical competence, to remedy the deterioration of the living conditions in the region.
The USO, the Spanish WCL affiliate, was present at the solidarity demonstration that was organised in Madrid on 29 November, and supports the Manifesto of the "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People", which demands from the Spanish government special emergency aid in favour of the victimised Palestinian population.
Sofia : European seminar on the standards
Claude Akpokavie, Director of the Norm Programme, Béatrice Fauchère from the Geneva-based WCL Office and Monique Cloutier, ACTRAV/ILO, took part in the European seminar on the international labour standards, which was conducted in Sofia on 25-29 November 2000 for the WCL affiliates in Central and Eastern Europe. The seminar was attended by around fifty participants. The seminar was about the ILO and the international labour standards and included a thorough training on the eight basic conventions and four priority conventions of the ILO. The agenda also included the study of the system to control the standards and the utilisation of the various ILO procedures. The seminar was informed of the situation of the trade union freedoms in Bulgaria. In conclusion it assessed and worked out a Plan of Action for the standards in Central and Eastern Europe.
Colombia : seminar of the CGTD
The Confederación General de Trabajadores Democráticos (CGTD), the Colombian WCL affiliate, organisation colombienne de la CMT, organised a seminar-workshop to assess the action of its Women’s Committee and to draw up its Plan of Action for 2001. The co-ordinator of the women’s action of the WCL, Kattia Paredes, took part in the seminar, which was attended by men and women from various sectors: dairy companies, liqueur companies, communications sector, informal sector, pensioners, child workers. The themes of the seminar were the new Protection of Motherhood Convention (no 183), the world women’s march, the WCL and the action in favour of women. Visits were organised to the CGTD centre for senior women and to a house for children and adolescents in an underprivileged district of Bogota, Ciudad Bolivar, where a remarkable work is done with over one hundred children and adolescents between eight and nineteen. Child workers in the informal sector, helping their jobless parents, take part in educational, leisure and trade union activities. Work is also done with the parents of these children in order to favour their return to school. The Instituto Nacional de Estudios Sociales (INES) plays an essential part in the training of these child trade unionists, future leaders who are strongly aware of the problems and can analyse their own problems.
Schedule of activities
14-19/1 BATU : seminar to plan the BATU Trade Action Manila
20-25/1 BATU : Congress of the Transport Federation Manila
25-30 World Social Forum Brazil
27-31 WFBW: meeting European cell (Spain)
28-30/1 FIOST/WCT/INFEDOP : Mediterranean seminar Portugal
29.01/03.02 Executive Committee DOAWTU
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