ICFTU ONLINE...

216/981009/DD

Brussels October 9 1998 (ICFTU OnLine): The following is a summary of main trade union news for the last week. The numbers at the end of the paragraphs refer to the relevant issue of ICFTU OnLine.

Middle East: ICFTU delegation met Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian National Authority at the beginning of the week. The delegation, which included ICFTU affiliates from Europe, Canada, the United States and Israel, and from the International Trade Secretariats stressed the importance of independent and democratic trade unions in Palestine, both as part of the Peace Process and also because they help to ensure the harmonious economic and social development of the country. Mr Arafat gave his personal backing for strengthening these unions and also called on the delegation to put more pressure on governments, particularly in the European Union, to step up their efforts for unblocking the stalled peace process. (OnLine 213)

Ecuadorian union leader threatened. Trade unionists are being asked to bombard both the Ecuadorian President and the Minister for Police and Government with faxes following the televised denunciation of Jose Chavez, President of the CEOSL, the Ecuadorian trade union centre. On the day before the general strike (October 1) in a televised appearance Ana Lucia Armijos, the Government and Police Minister threatened to prosecute Jose Chavez for his "disparaging remarks about the country and for threatening national security,". Five people were killed and ninety people were arrested in clashes during the strike, called to protest at the abolition of subsidies and a 15% devaluation of the currency. (OnLine 211)

Colombia - ORIT/ICFTU supports public workers strike: ORIT, the ICFTU's regional office for the Americas has written to Colombian President Andres Patrana, expressing its support for the nationwide strike called by the public sector employees which began on October 7.The strike was called by the public sector union FENALTRASE to get the government to negotiate with it on methods of dealing with the current economic crisis. The unions believe that government measures including below-inflation wages rises, budget cuts and an increased sales tax, ignore the needs and rights of workers and ordinary people. An estimated 600,000 workers, including doctors, teachers, oilmen, telecommunications and legal officials joined the strike

Kuwaiti workers rights -ICFTU protests to government The ICFTU is protesting to the Kuwaiti government because of its refusal to recognise trade unions, in the oil industry, in culture and the arts, and in the Ministry of the Interior. According to Kuwaiti Labour Law workers are allowed to organise trade unions in both government and private sectors, and unions were established between 1964 and 1972. However recent attempts to organise in certain sectors have been denied. In addition the ICFTU has asked the government to submit proposed new private sector labour legislation, pending for the last 20 years, to the National Assembly for ratification. The ICFTU is asking other trade union organisations to send protest letters to the Kuwait government.

Moroccan trade union acquitted: Mohamed Jait, has been acquitted by a court in Agadir, of the murder, in mysterious circumstances of Abdallah Mounassir, head of the fisheries section of the Moroccan Trade Union (UMT). In 1997, Abdallah Mounassir was kidnapped by a group of unknown men, and his body was later found at the port. For its part, the UMT said that the fishermen were convinced that Mohamed Jait had had nothing to do with the killing, and his acquittal was one of their demands when they went on strike, paralysing the port, and causing losses of millions of dollars each day. They had also been demanding a modernisation of their sector, including an upgrading of fishing boats, since the failure to modernise has meant that the fishing industry is falling behind its competitors.

Russian General Strike: Russian trade unions and government representatives began negotiations on October 8, the day after the nationwide strike, which was observed by 25 million workers. Unions had been demanding negotiations with the government, and the payment of wage arrears, running at US$15 billion. Chairman of the Federation of Independent of Trade Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov said that they were prepared for constructive dialogue, but were waiting for the authorities to take specific steps. On the eve of the national strike, the ICFTU had complained to the Russian authorities about the repression of Russian miners. Over the last year, miners, many of whom have not been paid for over a year, blocked railway stations demanding their backpay. The authorities reacted by imposing huge fines and imprisonment. (OnLine 212)

ICFTU/TUAC Health and Safety Meeting: The meeting this week decided to send an ICFTU/TUAC delegation to the Climate Change Conference in Buenos Aires, November 11-13, where Luis Anderson, ORIT General Secretary will deliver the main trade union speech. Union delegates will organise a workshop on an inter-agency review of employment implications of climate change and its mitigation. The meeting also decided that the theme for the 4th Day of Mourning on April 28 will be female workers. Both Spain and Canada have passed national legislation making April 28th an official national Day of Mourning and in 1999 the international campaign will open in Spain. The meeting also decided to participate as a major stakeholder in the UN Meeting focusing on Tourism and Sustainable Development on April 19 - 21 in New York.

IMF/World Bank meetings discuss labour standards: As part of the programme of seminars at the Institutions' Annual Meetings, there was a seminar entitled "Labour Standards. Who really benefits," with a panel which included G.Rajasekaran, General Secretary of the Malaysian TUC. Mr Rajasekaran said that the inclusion of core labour standards was the best way to ensure that protectionist pressures were removed and workers received the benefits of trade liberalisation. The existence of this seminar, and the presence of a trade union panelist shows that the current financial and social crises are forcing the international financial institutions to review their usual reticence to include labour standards, and are ready to open up a dialogue on the role of labour standards in the global economy.

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please contact: Luc Demaret on: 00 322 224 0212 - press@icftu.org

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