Brussels November 27 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.

ICFTU report finds multinational companies in Uruguay are anti-union: A new ICFTU report has found that some multinational companies operating in Uruguay systematically discriminate against union members. One such company is Lloyds Bank which, at various times in recent years, only granted salary increases or bonuses to non-union members. The report on labour standards, which is the latest to complement the World Trade Organisation's trade review, found that although in general, the country respected trade union rights, there are some areas which need to be improved. The ICFTU says that in order to comply with core trade union rights, the Uruguayan government must take action to ensure that multinational companies do not discriminate against trade unionists, and should stamp out harassment of trade union leaders, which still exists in the country. (OnLine 256)

South Africa to host ICFTU Congress in 2000.The ICFTU Executive Board, at its annual session hosted in Elsinore this week, by LO (Denmark) has agreed to hold the ICFTU's 17th World Congress in South Africa.The Board welcomed the invitation from the ICFTU's South African affiliates: Cosatu, Nactu and Fedusa and said it provided an opportunity to pay tribute to the courageous South African trade unions' fight against the apartheid regime and to the role played by the whole of international democratic trade union movement. 'It will also be an opportunity for us to show support for the difficult task confronting South African trade unions in their efforts to build solid social and economic foundations for their young democracy', added Bill Jordan, ICFTU General Secretary. (OnLine No:OnLine 257)

ICFTU Board calls for action on economic crisis: The ICFTU Executive Board has adopted a series of specific demands addressed to governments, financial institutions and central banks to restore economic growth, aid employment world-wide, and promote social safety nets and job-creating public works programmes The Board also called for the writing-off of the debts of the most heavily indebted countries (particularly Central American countries devastated by Hurricane Mitch), the establishment of an international independent commission to regulate international financial markets and for a tax on speculation (the Tobin tax). The ICFTU demands form part of an international trade union campaign leading up to next year's World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference which will include representations to the OECD, the G7, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. (OnLine 259)

New ICFTU Affiliations: The ICFTU's Executive Board accepted five new affiliates bringing ICFTU membership to 211 national trade union organisations in 143 countries representing over 125 million workers world-wide. The new affiliates are: The Central Geral de Sindicatos Independentes e Livres (CGSILA- Angola), the Confédération générale des travailleurs de Mauritanie (CGTM – Mauritania), the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW – Namibia), the Autonomous Trade Union Confederation (ATUC – Hungary) and the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN – Canada). (OnLine 257)

ICFTU launches new Charter Against Child Labour: Senior trade union leaders signed a new "Charter Against Child Labour" inviting governments, consumers, employers, trade unions and non-governmental organisations to join the international campaign to abolish the problem that affects 250 million children world-wide. The Charter was launched at the ICFTU's EB meeting in Denmark. "Tens of millions of children are exploited for profit every day. Those who gain from child labour must be stopped and must help undo the damage they have done. They must help to pay for the rehabilitation and education of the child workers." the Charter says. The Charter, which will serve as a mobilisation tool for a wide audience, will form part of the campaign leading up to the adoption next June of a new Convention on Child Labour by the UN's International Labour Organisation. (OnLine 260)

ICFTU urges Pinochet extradition: International trade unions welcomed the British high court ruling which lifted immunity from General Pinochet, leader of the junta which ruled Chile from 1973 - 90 and said it was "a long-awaited but major step towards establishing justice as a leading principle for the community of nations, and a tribute to those trade unionists who died in the fight for justice and democracy". The ICFTU has written to British Home Secretary Jack Straw urging him to carry through the extradition to Spain, where Pinochet can be tried. Earlier this week the ICFTU launched a civil suit against Pinochet in Belgium, because of crimes committed against trade unionists in Chile after the military coup (11 September 1973). Hundreds of democratic trade unionists were arrested during the military junta's dictatorship, and scores were tortured, assassinated, or "disappeared" after their capture by the former Chilean political police, the DINA.(OnLine 258)

PSI condemns Biwater: The Public Services International has called on the South African government to suspend the threatened privatisation of water services in the city of Nelspruit, and has issued a report which shows that Biwater is deliberately seeking non-competitive, government-guaranteed profits from privatisation. The union report says that Biwater has already had problems on water contracts, including limited performance on its concession in Indonesia and the cancellation of a contract in the Philippines, where it is also being accused of corruption. The PSI is urging the South African government to cancel the proposed contract, as it says Biwater is pursing guaranteed profits from water concessions which it knows are against the public interest.

TUAC 50th Anniversary: On November 20, TUAC (the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD) celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a seminar on international labour and globalisation. TUAC was created in 1948 to liaise with the Marshall Plan Institutions, notably the OEEC, and when the OEEC was replaced by the OECD in 1962, TUAC was recognised as the representative body of organised labour in the OECD countries with consultative status. The seminar brought together leading trade unionists from round the world, to look at the new challenges facing labour in globalisation. ICFTU General Secretary Bill Jordan spoke at the seminar.

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