N° 119 / 15 January 2001
For unity of action in Venezuela
For unity of action in Venezuela
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In connection with the trade union referendum president Chavez organised on 3 December, a ICFTU/ORIT delegation, led by the respective general secretaries Bill Jordan and Luis Anderson, conducted a mission to Venezuela. The CLAT and its general secretary, Eduardo Garcia, were invited to the General Assembly meetings of the CTV, CODESA and CGT as well as to press conference held by the ICFTU/ORIT. The CLAT accepted this invitation, itself having taken the initiative to hold a joint WCL-CLAT/ICFTU-ORIT meeting to analyse the trade union situation in the country and to work out an agreement on a possible unity of action. During that meeting, on 30 November, the WCL-CLAT declared itself in favour of a unity of action on the understanding that an agreement is reached on a democratic process within the trade unions and against each state or government intervention.
The ICFTU-ORIT delegation agreed on a unity of action with the WCL-CLAT in Venezuela and in each other country where the political democracy and/or the trade union freedoms and the ILO conventions are threatened.
Romania: equal opportunities for men and women
As a democratic trade union the Romanian affiliate of the WCL, Cartel Alfa, wants to advance the basic values of democracy and social equity, including the principle of equal opportunities for men and women. That is why it committed itself, in a resolution passed at its recent Congress (November 2000), to making all-out efforts to ensure that this principle, which is stipulated in the Romanian Constitution, takes concrete shape in trade union practice. In order to achieve this, Cartel Alfa will work at the internal level to ensure a proportional representation of women and men in the General Council and the Congress, and to encourage the promotion of women to executive offices in the Confederation and its affiliates. It also committed itself to supporting the Confederation’s activities in favour of women within the international trade union movement: the European Women’s Committee and the World Women’s Committee of the WCL.
As far as Cartel Alfa’s relations with other organisations and institutions are concerned, it will designate an equal number of women and men for the delegation that will take part in the ILO’s annual conference. In conclusion, in all these activities it will endorse or present proposals aimed to improve the existing regulations regarding the advancement of the principle of equal opportunities and treatment for women and men.
Twentieth anniversary of Solidarnosc
"The anniversary of Solidarnosc is the celebration of breaking with totalitarianism, a breaking that was prepared in Poland by resistance movements in 1956, 1968, 1970, 1972 and 1976." This is how general secretary Willy Thys started his address to the Conference "Twenty years of Solidarnosc, open the way for changes in Europe" (Brussels 14 December 2000). He reminded of the determination of Lech Walesa and the courage of the original activists, men and women, resolved to organise themselves freely in a context that was hostile to each change. He reminded, further, that right from the start the WCL with its then general secretary Jan Kulakowski, of Polish origin himself, believed in the change. The international solidarity the WCL and the ICFTU organised at the time, was sanctioned in 1986 by the double affiliation of Solidarnosc to both organisations. In conclusion, the WCL general secretary emphasised the role of the democratic trade unions in the Polish society, like in all societies in transition in Central and Eastern Europe, facing the effects of the neo-liberal economy on the workers. "It is still necessary, he added, that they can exist in freedom, outside the monopolistic pressures from the organisations inherited from history".
ILO Governing Body
The proceedings of the 279th session of the Governing Body (November 2000), were centred on the standards and the future standard-setting action of the ILO.
Respect for the standards in Myanmar gave rise to an important decision. The Governing Body indeed decided, with 52 votes in favour and 4 against (China, Malaysia, India, Russia), to apply the resolution the Conference had passed last June, which demands measures against this country on account of forced labour. The Body examined the report of the special representative of the director-general for co-operation with Colombia. The report bears upon the overall situation in the country from the angle of trade union rights and the safety of trade unionists. According to information from the CUT (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia), 62 trade unionists from this country were assassinated in the period from 1 January to 31 October 2000. The statistics are certainly not complete, for they take into account neither the many disappeared persons, probable victims of assassination, nor the trade unionists who had to flee their homes and take refuge in the country of had to flee even their country and become political refugees abroad.
The Committee on Trade Union Freedom examined the complaints against the government of Guatemala, filed by the CGTG, the CLAT and the WCL. Many allegations bore upon acts of violence (assassinations physical aggression, death threats) against trade union leaders and activists. In its conclusions the Committee deplores the extreme gravity of these allegations. It draws the government’s attention to the fact that trade union freedom can only be exercised in a situation of respect for, and guarantee of, the basic human rights.
Lastly, the ILO’s future activities in the matter of the standards will be the object of debates in the years to come. The employers and the workers reached an agreement on the continuation of standards-related activities. On the other hand, a number of governments from Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean wanted to challenge the ILO’s control system. Africa supports this system, bringing to the fore that if states are members of the ILO, they are to support the application of the standards.
Sixth regional meeting of the ILO
Béatrice Fauchère, permanent representative of the ILO in Geneva, addresses the 6th regional meeting of the ILO (Geneva, 12-15 December 2000) on matters related to information and communication technologies (ICT).
The WCL representative emphasised the difference between information and knowledge as well as the fact that each human being has the right to take part in the information society. In this sector the emergence of new forms of labour organisation, linked up with new kinds of in many cases precarious contracts, had been conducive to splitting up the workers in denying them every opportunity to organise themselves facing their employers, she added. In view of this state of affairs recourse to general multi-sector bargaining always remains the first solution to consider. Béatrice Fauchère raised, further, a few questions with regard to the ratification and application of a number of ILO conventions, particularly the migrant workers’ issue (Convention 143), the persistent violations of trade union freedom and the freedom of collective bargaining (Conventions 87 and 98), and part-time and homework (Conventions 175 and 177).
Miners pay a high price
In Central and Eastern Europe under the communist regime, miners belonged to the so-called labour elite with very high wages and lots of extras, from housing to health care. All workers in Central and Eastern Europe paid a high price for the fall of communism, but the miners probably the highest of all. Not only were their wages considerably lowered, in some cases they were even not paid for months in succession.
Also the extras in the field of housing, health care, etc. disappeared like snow before the sun. As if this were not enough, it became really clear in what heavy and hazardous circumstances they had to and still have work. Safety was no priority to the communist regimes. And now that the European Union is getting closer and the markets are open to coal imports, the mines prove to be largely unprofitable. During a seminar for Central and East European miners’ unions, conducted in Sinaia, Romania, it appeared that the authorities in Central and Eastern Europe were hardly interested in the lot of the miners, notwithstanding the fact that in some countries like Poland and Ukraine, tens if not hundreds of thousands of workers are involved. The seminar was organised by the Bucharest-based WFIW liaison office jointly with the miners’ section in the WFIW and the European Foundation of Christian Miners. One of the conclusions of the seminar was that the miners’ unions had to force the governments and employers to provide more and better information on the future of the mines, the coal industry, the home and foreign markets, the reorganisation schemes, etc. A consultation network is urgently necessary to protect the miners’ interests.
Human rights violations - update
Indonesia : The WCL has been informed of the fact that Wuaya Kawilarang, regional co-ordinator (province of East Kalimantan) of our Indonesian affiliate SBSI) was arrested on 12 November 2000 by virtue of article 160 of the criminal law for having disregarded the police order to put an end to a strike called by the SBSI. The reason for the strike was the systematic refusal of the employers of the company VICO to enter upon a collective bargaining that had not taken place for several years. Seven other SBSI leaders were also arrested on account of their trade union activities.The WCL has called urgently for international solidarity in order to conduct a campaign with the Indonesian government, demanding the immediate release of the trade union leaders, the end of the interference of the security forces in the industrial relations and full respect for the Conventions 87 and 98, which Indonesia ratified. Vietnam : The WCL has been informed of serious human rights violations victimising Vietnamese workers at the company Daewoo S.A., established in Samoa (United States). According to our information, these 250 workers are physically and morally ill-treated. A young woman lost her life for lack of medical care. Some workers prefer to return to Vietnam rather than to undergo these acts of aggression.
Persistent violence in the Basque Country
José Elorrieta, general secretary of the ELA, condemned with indignation the assault by the ETA, during which was murdered on 14 December Francisco Cano, adviser to the Popular Party of Terrasa.
Schedule of activities
4-10/2 WFCW: tripartite meeting banking sector/ILO Geneva (Switzerland)
12-16/2 DOAWTU assessment seminar Lomé (Togo)
12-14 WTO and UNCTAD meetings (?) Geneva (Switzerland)
18-24 WFBW seminar as follow-up to the Congress Ostend (Belgium)
21-23 DOAWTU Pan-African Committee on Trade Action Lomé (Togo)
Erratum
28-30/1 FIOST/WCT/WCL Mediterranean seminar Portugal
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