representation at work: workers strike over new panama labour code || ictur interventions

International Centre for Trade Union Rights

ICTUR interventionsAuthor(s): Alex ReidSource: International Union Rights, Vol. 2, No. 3, Representation at work: Workers strikeover new Panama Labour Code (1995), pp. 12-13Published by: International Centre for Trade Union RightsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41935447 .

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Alex Reid surveys

recent cases of trade

union rights violations

taken up by ICTUR's

International head

office. They show no

let up in the contin-

ued attacks, killings,

harassment and intim-

idation of trade union-

ists around the world

seeking to defend and

extend their trade

union rights.

Colombia ICTUR protested to Colombian President Samper Pizano following news of the abduction of Diego Alberto Ortiz Prieto, who had previously been receiving death threats because of his activities in the Teachers Association. ICTUR called on the

President to institute an immediate investigation to find out the whereabouts of Mr Prieto and to bring to justice those responsible for his disappearance. News of the death threats

and ongoing harassment of the Vice President of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, Jesus Antonio Gonzalez Luna, and his family resulted in protest letters being sent to Colombian government offi-

cials. ICTUR called for an investigation into the inci- dents and for measures to be taken to protect the lives of Mr Luna and his family. The President of Colombia's Council on Human Rights replied say- ing that the Commander of the Police in the district and the local government officials in the area where the family live, have been told to take appropriate measures to protect the family's lives. He also stated that a

criminal investigation has been ordered into the circumstances surrounding the case.

South Korea A dispute at Korea Telecom erupted into international concern for the strike leaders as riot police surround- ed a Buddhist temple

where union leaders were in hiding following a government clampdown on the work to rule by Telecom staff. ICTUR protested to the

Korean prime minister call- ing on him to cease the action and to respect the right of trade unionists to carry out their activities free form government interference.

Turkey As part of an international campaign, ICTUR called for the release of Atilay Aycin, President of Hava-ls, the Union of Civil Aviation Workers. His arrest in June, under the notorious Anti Terror Law (which is used to harass and intimidate those involved in industrial dis- putes), happened as his members were taking

industrial action. ICTUR called for his immediate release and for an end to the use of anti terror legis- lation to incarcerate trade union activists.

Mexico ICTUR protested to the President of the US owned Kirkwood Industry company in Mexico City after 60 workers were fired as they sought independent union representation at the factory. ICTUR called for their re-instatement and for the company to respect international conventions regard- ing freedom of association and the right to organise in trde unions.

Bolivia Following the protests over mass arrests of Bolivian trade unionists and the announcement of a State of

Emergency as reported in the last edition of IUR, ICTUR received a reply from the Minister of Foreign Relations. He pointed out that "the Bolivian Government, in the process of constructing democracy, has faced difficult moments as a result of inflexible atti- tudes assumed by some political groups". The minister assured ICTUR that no trade unionist had their human rights violated and that all, with the exception of four, had been released. Despite this, more recent

reports suggest that the process of detaining trade unionists continue as over 50 were detained on 14 July in the Department of Cochabamba as a result of a dispute concerning the forced eradication of coca crops. The protestors were

fired on by police and several received wounds. The names and place of detention of all those held was not given by the authorities. Additionally, the State of Emergency was extended for another 90 days, giving the security forces powers of arrest without judicial warrant. ICTUR protested strongly

at this and called for the immediate release of all detained trade unionists.

Guatemala Yet another death threat was issued to Debora Guzman, whose husband is a union leader at the Lunafil textile factory (as reported in previous issues of IUR). The dispute at the factory has been ongoing since May 1994 and has been marked with a whole host of trade union rights

violations including death threats, abductions and physical attacks on the trade unionists protesting at the company lock-out. ICTUR called on

Guatemalan President Leon Carpio to undertake an immediate and comprehen- sive investigation into the horrific drugging, beating and raping of Ms Flor de Maria who works for the FESTRAS trade union feder- ation. ICTUR denounced this act and called for immediate steps to be taken to protect trade union leaders and officials.

Sudan Concern was raised for the safety of a number of trade unionists who had been detained as part of the government's clampdown against the political opposi-

INTER NATIO NAL union rights Summer 1995 Page 12



tion. Reports suggested that they were being held in horrendous conditions, were being given little food and that some had lost sig- nificant amounts of weight while in detention. ICTUR protested at the

continued detention of all trade unionists who were being held purely as a result of opposing the government. ICTUR called for their immediate release in the absence of any valid charge and for an end to arbitrary arrest and detention and for guarantees that those held were in no dan- ger of being tortured.

Dominican Republic ICTUR protested to the Dominican Republic government following the attempt- ed kidnapping of Anastacio Gonzalez, Secretary General of the Federación Nacional

committee of ICTUR he said ILC's are tripartite bodies having representatives from the employers and the Ministry of Labour imposed on them at every level. The regime's practice is in con- travention of ILO Convention 87 (freedom of association) and Convention 98 (right to collective bargaining). Jamshid Ettehadieh

explained that a number of trade unionists have been executed, imprisoned and tortured for trying to set up independent workers organ- isations. The LCTUI have the following demands: # The right of workers to collective bargaining. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights and the International Labour Code are all clear:

International Labour Conference in Geneva, a long standing industrialised country with well estab- lished democratic traditions was condemned by an international agency con- sisting of Government, employer and trade union representatives. That country is Britain, indicted by the International Labour Organisation on several counts: # for denying trade union rights at GCHQ, the government intelligence gathering centre; # for making unlawful the disciplining by trade unions, under their rule books, of members who refuse to comply with democratic decisions to take lawful industrial action; # for the general prohibi- tion of solidarity actions even where the initial strike

tom of the European league table and is actively encour- aging other countries to take the same discreditable path. British policy is a threat to the development of civilised standards in a world where workers every- where need the protection of international law. The British Committee of

ICTUR calls on all its affili- ates and supporters in Britain and around the world to redouble their efforts to encourage the British government to meet its obligations to the international community by respecting in both letter and spirit the ILO Conventions to which it is a signatory. Specifically, we call for.

• the restoration of trade union rights at GCHQ # the right of British trade unions to determine their

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Namibia ICTUR representatives were in Namibia earlier this year to monitor and help develop a para-legal training scheme for trade union representatives. See IUR Volume 2 No 2 This work - sponsored

and organised mainly by the British TUC - follows up earlier visits made by ICTUR members to help develop a

de Trabajadores del Transporte. ICTUR called for an investigation into the incident, which was only unsuccessful because of the actions taken by the victim's neighbours. ICTUR pointed to reports which stated that the perpetrators were known and had used a car belonging to a high ranking official of the National Army.

Iran The fundamentalist regime in Iran outlaws independent trade unions but tolerates the formation of Islamic Labour Councils (ILC's) in some circumstances Jamshid Ettehadieh of the Co-ordinating Council of the Liaison Commission of Trade Unions in Iran told a London audience. Speaking at a meeting of the British

workers have the right to withhold labour by striking; freedom to belong or not to belong to a trade union; freedom from forced labour; and equality of opportunity. All these are totally lacking in Iran he said. # For an international campaign to pressurise the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran to abide by all ILO Conventions. • For a visit by an independent international team of observers to Iran for an independent investigation into all reported cases of violations of human and democratic rights.

Britain ICTUR'S British Committee issued the following state- ment "At the 1995

being supported is in itself lawful. This is a bleak commen-

tary on Britain's recent record on trade union and human rights. No amount of sound-bite sophistiy from Employment Minister Michael Portillo can dis- guise the fact that the actions and Employment Acts of the British Government have been examined and found wanti- ng by a highly respected international body. Attention is rightly

focused on GCHQ. But the ILO has also found the whole drift of Britain's law on collective rights at work to be an offence to ILO Standards. Britain once led the world in developing trade union freedoms and individual rights at work. Sadly it is now at the bot-

own democratic rules and constitutions without government interference # solidarity action in sup- port of workers in dispute to be made lawful in line with ILO Conventions. • For further Information on any of the cases men- tioned please contact ICTUR's International head ! office.

Labour Code and a training programme for trade union organisers on using the Code. In this work the British

TUC's International Department has been instrumental in providing the best possible conditions for developing solidarity to meet the needs of Namibian working people. The report of the delega-

tion's work is now available from the TUC International Department, Congress House, Great Russel St., London, WC1 3BS, or from ICTUR. ICTUR members Mary Stacey and Andrew Short have been invited back to Namibia next year to complete further training programmes for trade union officials on the work of the District Labour Courts.

INTERNATIONAL union rights Summer 1995 Page 13



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