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A dossier of weekly information published by the
************************ INTRODUCTION: In this issue we publish speeches made at the ILC Conference held in Geneva on June 11, 2006 by Mathias Rouvari (Burundi), Rubina Jamil (Pakistan), Francois Yao (Ivory Coast) and Guido Montari (Italy). Preparation for the International Solidarity Conference with Palestinian women continues. Two reports published by Dialogue include: a communiqué from the Sawt el-Amel Association that is fighting the Wiscosin plan in Nazareth and a report on the campaign calling for support for the Palestinian women in Nazareth. In Algeria, the council ministers have decided to amend the law that oversees the process of privatization of hydrocarbons. Louisa Hanoune comments: "We are pleased that this orientation towards the renationalization of our natural resources will allow us to have a strong economy and to preserve (our resources) for future generations." We have received an appeal from Russia for solidarity with the SOCPROF, an independent trade union of the art school in the town of Shelekov (Irkutsk). The teachers were sent home and the school was closed. We are also publishing a short text on the movement against the electoral fraud in Mexico. Subscribe to the ILC International Newsletter! ------ TABLE OF CONTENTS: Pg. 1: Introduction ------ Subscriptions: To subscribe : ********************* INTERNATIONAL LIAISON COMMITTEE OF WORKERS AND PEOPLES 13th Meeting for the defense of ILO Conventions and the defense of the independence of trade union organizations Mathias Rouvari (Burundi) I represent the Confederation of independent trade unions in Burundi. Because the question of unification has not yet been discussed, it is true that it will present a problem. What is the point of doing something without participation? There will probably be an awareness campaign and each delegate should express his opinion and then he can return to his base to inform them. We are messengers. We do not speak for ourselves. We have a mandate and we can only transmit what we have been asked to say. This cannot start with a world summit, but should be constructed at the base level, that is, at the national trade union confederations. So we will listen and we will see. There is no decision to be made at this time. There is no fire. I would like to talk about the situation in my country. You must have heard of the civil war that is raging there. It has been going on for more than 13 years-it is a political/ethnic question which has pitted brother against brother, in which movements were designed to conquer power. You can imagine what we trade unionists have suffered. We fought for the solidarity of labor, for the ethnicities. Imagine employers closing companies, the massive departure of workers. At the new elections of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Burundi, I was accredited by the national independent electoral commission as an observer. We saw people fighting for power in this tiny country of only 28,000 square kilometers. A political party won. This party is in power now and met with us just before May 1. We presented the trade union demands and the president has agreed to meet with us. But the fact is that misery exists throughout the country. First there was a 6-month long terrible drought. Then, when it started raining, the downpours were so torrential that the dead were unearthed from their graves. We have appealed to the international community for humanitarian aid, for food, something which had never before been necessary in the 90% agricultural country of Burundi. There is also the problem of unemployment of qualified people, the brain drain, agronomists who cannot teach since there is no budget to pay them and the increase in the price of gasoline which is now over one dollar per liter. The problem of under employment is also evident. The trade union claims there is a poor distribution of revenues: we are not informed of what little is given by the international community and we do not participate in its distribution. Obviously the World Bank is present in Burundi and, as you know, it is a bank that sells money. It works with the government. We have always asked that the missions to the World Bank, which come every three months, include representatives of the trade unions because we are not sure that they are doing anything for us. This is an issue we insist on and have had strikes over. There have been teacher's strikes for over three months and their demands have been met. There has also been a strike by medical personnel for three weeks. In this case, the government also accepted their demands, but not without consequences. When there is a strike, we lose everything on the trade union level as well as on the government level, since all that money does not mean better care for patients. There is also a strike of the personnel of the University of Burundi. We continue to fight and we must unite on the ILC level to maintain these conquests and to acquire new victories. ------ Rubina Jamil (Pakistan) First of all, I want to thank the ILC for allowing me to speak about the situation of women workers in my country, where the present government is a military dictatorship that is subject, as was the former government, to imperialism, especially North American imperialism. This government applies the dictates of the Bush government against the workers and the peoples. They arrest and attack people in order to apply the policy of the Bush government, especially in the north and in Belukistan, over a so-called fight against terrorism. The workers are deprived of everything. There is no law, and it is the will of the 'serdars' that applies. The press does not mention what is happening in the north. I would also like to speak about the situation of the women, especially those in the garment industry. They are denied everything. They work over 16 hours a day for the national and international capitalists. This is the result of globalization and privatization. Labor laws do not apply to them. They are subject to sexual harassment by the bosses, the leaders and their colleagues at work. In Pakistan, there is Nike, Adidas, etc., that deny fundamental rights to thousands of workers. Recently a factory that employed 200 women was brutally closed and the bosses refused to pay four months back wages. We defended these women, and for the first time in our country, we were able to pursue the matter legally for these women to recover their wages. Usually, due to the length of these procedures, no one undertakes them. The fusion of the trade union federation is already taking place in Pakistan. There is also confrontation between the peasants in the region of the Punjab and the army that has expelled them from their lands in order to militarize the zone. They have set up barricades and refuse to let them return to cultivate their lands. Women peasants are at the forefront in the battle against the army. I was happy to see on television that, despite all the problems the workers are faced with in the world because of the governments at the orders of the IMF and the World Bank, there was a massive movement in France and Holland against the European Constitution and that the youth in France gained a victory against the CPE. We should be inspired by the youth and the people of France for obtaining this victory. In our country, despite a military government, the bosses and the lords of war, despite religious fundamentalism and the ostracism of political parties in regard to women, we do our best to organize women. Together, we are sure to surmount these obstacles. ------ Francois Yao (Ivory Coast) I would like to briefly retrace the situation of the trade unions in my country. You are aware of the political situation; you know that since September 19, 2002 our country has been divided in two by a rebellion. The north and the west are in the hands of the rebellion and the south is under control of the government. The trade unions at the level of confederations are modeled on this schism. We have three confederations. One is linked to the party in power. Another is historically linked to the former party in power and the third, our original confederation, was divided in August 2005. We had three assistant leaders. The third created FESACI (two) by holding a congress on August 6 and 7 in order to be elected secretary general of the confederation. The first assistant secretary did the same in September. The first secretary general is close to the party in power, and the other follows and amorphous grouping. The SYNASEG was affiliated with the FESACI which caused a rupture with this federation. This was because we could not support one of the two tendencies since we had activists from both sectors. The first secretary is a member of the CRND (National Congress for Resistance and Democracy), which is an instrument of the party in power. On the other hand, there is the RHDP (a gathering of 'houphouetiste' for democracy and peace). Because we have not wanted to support this division, we are practically working on our own. Since August, the SYNASEG has positioned itself in favor of an institutional reform of the electricity sector in regard to the contract that linked the Ivory Coast state to the Bouygues group. However, this reform did not go through and the contract was extended despite opposition. Since then, the SYNASEG has suffered reprisals from the azimuts. It is a witch hunt. They want the SYNASEG to disappear, so they use anti trade union practices and interfere with trade union affairs. This is because the employer has created a new trade union derived from their former 'trade union' and organizes ostracism of the two existing unions. The employer also impedes trade union freedoms, and pushes for the suspension of union rights: prevention of meetings on site, prevention of trade union posters, retention of union contributions deducted by the SECOP, refusal to meet with SYNASEG since August and with the second trade union since November. In view of this situation the SYNASEG and the CNACI constituted a coalition on April 11 to gather our forces to support the demands of the workers on a minimal platform of 11 points. On April 9 we held a general meeting. Because of the problems that have been mentioned, the meeting was not well attended. But the emotional charge was strong and the resolution firm because the mandate had been given to the coalition to use all means, including a strike, in order to succeed with their demands. On May 30, the coalition decided to hold a press conference at 10:30am. The leadership decided to meet the same day at 10am, but we held the press conference anyway. We first discussed the institutional principle of audits between trade unions and employers. We then decided on a blocked period of negotiations on the same platform that was mentioned earlier. We held a press conference at 11.30 and we announced that negotiations were open and that we remained vigilant. The second meeting between the coalition of trade unions and the leadership took place on June 6. During this meeting we brought up the first point: trade union freedoms, and decided on a blocked period of three days, June 28, 29 and 30 to discuss our demands. This is a good chance for a resolution to the present conflict. ------ Guido Montanari (Italy) I am a member of the Italian trade union for public schools: the CGIL. It is the largest trade union in Italy that has played an important role in the battles in our country during this last period. I am in agreement with many of the things that have been said. I would like to draw attention to one question. I believe that the difference between governance and government is clear, as with the difference between consultation and negotiation. But what is incredible is the confusion regarding these terms and the widespread usage of these terms by leftists and those organized by the left. We would not be here to discuss what we are discussing if it were not for trade union and party leaders who say the same things throughout the world. They say that governance is better than government and that consultation is a necessary thing, because it is more democratic. These are the problems of our time. How can we address these people who work with us, that are sometimes leaders that use these words in a totally false manner in good or bad faith. This is also done by all trade union leaders. It was interesting to hear Daniel report that Antonio Negri was at the presentation of works at the CUT Congress. Negri was an extreme left leader in Italy that was accused of terrorism, who is followed by a generation of youth who he has led towards terrorism, prison, drugs and who has never made any move toward an independent organization of workers. What does he have to do with the workers' movement? Nothing. But he has a base in Italy among university students at the moment. I don't think the solution is to be a small independent island that merely says things but that has no relation to the movement and to the workers. One must open the discussion. We must be present with the appeals from the base, but also with the leaders whenever the independence of trade unions is discussed. There are movements that fight against this, but we must deepen and widen the movement, centralize it and unify it. For instance, I think we should have an appeal, a letter at the ILO meeting on April 2007 that will discuss the future of the ILO. I think we should have discussion with all the activists and the leaders. I believe there is some confusion. It is possible to have a discussion with the workers in the trade unions in order to re-establish a true independence of the trade unions. ************************
On March 20, 2005 a majority of deputies at the national popular assembly in Algeria (APN) adopted law No. 05-07 regarding hydrocarbons on the proposal by the Energy and Mines Minister, Dr. Chakib Khelil. According to Le Soir d'Algerie, (July 16), "the president of the republic declared in February 2005, I have no choice, this law was imposed on me." This same journalist said: "If this law had been applied, Algeria would have been pillaged in 10 or 15 years and the Sahara declared "Autonomous Targuie Republic" under the protection of GI's and marines." Only the parliamentary group of the Workers' Party of Algeria voted against it. The law on hydrocarbons of March 2005 transferred the property rights to energy resources, gas and oil, of the Algerian state to the multinationals in the framework of unlimited concessions. This law broke the links between the Algerian state and the Sonatrach (national oil company). As a result, the national company would be transformed into an ordinary company in competition with the multinationals. The law was not followed with decrees for its enforcement After the adoption of this law, the government did not present the APN with decrees for the application of this law. Meanwhile, a large campaign was launched to get the president of the republic to hold a popular referendum. In this petition, the abrogation of the March 20, 2005 law was demanded as well as other laws that privatized water. It should be noted that in September 2005, in a report on Algeria, the IMF recommended freezing wages, making the labor market more flexible, privatizing the financial and insurance systems and taking as reference the price of a barrel of oil at $19 dollars with the objective of using two-tiered formula (that is to say the difference between $19 dollars and the real price of a barrel of oil) for repayment of the foreign debt. The council of ministers decided to amend the law On Sunday, July 9, the council of ministers under the presidency of Bouteflika decided to amend this law. Among the amendments: the re-establishment of the Sonatrach as a national company and the re-establishment of Article 17 of the Constitution that refers to national property, and especially the re-establishment of Article 17 of the Constitution, referent to the national property of natural resources, notably hydrocarbons. The reaction of the spokesman for the multinationals and minister Khelil was not long in coming. According to Le Jour d'Algerie (July 15) "the foreign investors did not appreciate the amendments on the hydrocarbons law, because a part of the super-profits were taken from them. According to Khelil, the downsizing of the participation of foreign partners in the project will not be appreciated by them." He continued: "The foreign operators will not appreciate having to pay the Algerian state more taxes and dividends." According to the same newspapers, the tax on oil will increase to 62% for the multinationals. On July 16 Le Soir d'Algerie reported: "The projected amendments will not please the present foreign partners. Khelil, acting as spokesman, risked showing his lack of conviction for this revision. As soon as this amendment is in place the operators will have to pay a tax on the super-profits generated by oil exploration when the price of a barrel rises over $30 dollars." On July 13, 2006, Louisa Hanoune, spokesperson for the Workers' Party, declared in Liberté: "It is far from a simple rearrangement. We are pleased with this reorientation towards the renationalization of our natural resources which will allow us to have a strong economy and to preserve (them) for future generationsŠI also regret the recourse to ordnances for these positive laws. The debate at the APN was able to create a dynamic and consolidate this step towards the strengthening of national sovereignty." She also spoke against the privatization process that, according to her, must stop and said that we must also go one step further: "We must consecrate the non-privatization of Sonatrach in the future Constitution." *************************** RUSSIA Dear comrades, We ask you to express your solidarity with SOCPROF, the independent trade union of teachers at the art school in the town of Shelekov (Irkutsk). Members of this trade union are the object of repressions by local authorities and in particular, the mayor of the town, Yu Syusin. Since March 10, 2006 all the teachers were sent home and the school closed. Criminal charges and administrative wrongdoing have been leveled at the trade union representative, A.S. Svinina. Please address your protest to the mayor of the town at the following address: Mr. Yu. A. Syusin Please send a copy of your protest to: kashamanka@yahoo.com. Sample letter to the mayor: Dear Mayor, We have been informed that those responsible for the administration of the town of Shelekov have taken an illegal action against SOCPROF, an independent trade union of the teachers at the municipal art school. On May 27, 2005, during a strike (recognized as legal by the Supreme Court), the director of the school, V.F.Tyulenev was dismissed in an application of paragraph 278 of the Russian Labor Code (TKRF), even though he had not committed an offence. This was done on the orders of the person in charge of the cultural section, V.A. Burlakov, although Tyulenev's employer-the art school-had not dismissed him. All the personnel of the school signed a petition in defense of their director as well as 150 parents of pupils. The dismissal of Tyulenev was declared illegal by the district court and annulled. But on that same day, May 27, 2005, V.P.Tur was illegally named as director of the school although he had no right: he is not qualified; he has no teaching experience and was not accepted by the personnel of the school. On September 29, 2005 Tur illegally dismissed the president of the trade union, A.S.Svinina by applying Article 81, paragraph 10 of the Labor Code during the strike, thus violating legislation on layoffs and fabricating a false protocol for layoffs. The justice court of Shelekov restored Svinina to her post, agreeing that she had been dismissed due to illness, without any legal foundation and in violation of layoff legislation. Svinina did not receive her pay during the period from September 29, 2005 through October 3, 2005; they also illegally denied her leave of absence due to illness and refused to pay her wages for that period. On September 29, 2005 the school was forcefully occupied by representatives of justice and the militia, without any written notification. The president of the SOCPROF, Svinina, was handcuffed, taken outside the school and thrown on the ground. Her two wrists were sprained. They did not allow her to collect her belongings nor her walking shoes. She attempted to call a lawyer and they yanked the phone from her. All this occurred in plain view of the students. This intervention was directed by Burlakova and Tur, the latter having been named the director. Because of the representatives of the court, the municipality and the militia, the school was closed illegally for one and a half months. There was a serious interruption of the school year. The school's employees only received 2/3 of the wages in violation of Article 220 of the Labor Code that specifies that middle income employees must all be paid. Svinina spent three months in a hospital due to the trauma she suffered. Court representatives slandered Svinina in order to justify their illegal action, while the militia and attorney general's office accused her without proof of criminal and administrative misdemeanors. In order to intimidate the school's personnel and undermine its reputation, a letter was published announcing that criminal charges had been made against the president of the trade union SOCPROF for violating Article 330 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and posted on the school's entrance. On March 10, 2006, all the trade union activists were laid off by Tur, citing paragraph 1 of Article 81 of the Labor Code (on liquidation of independent organizations). We understand the school was closed at the request of the municipality. We want you to be informed of our protest against the authorization of the obvious abuses against the trade unions, their leaders and their members, as well as against the personnel and the students of the school in general. The action of the representatives of the town's administration are grave breaches of the legislation of the Russian Federation, the constitutional right of its citizens to constitute trade unions and to international agreements ratified by the Russian Federation, as well as the ILO and the UN. Measures such as these will lead to the destruction of the professional educational system in the domain of arts. We demand: -The re-opening of the school ************************ MEXICO Tens of thousands of workers and youth continue to occupy the capital: "Lopez Obrador is President! Respect the Popular Vote!" Three million workers and youth, from all over Mexico, protested on July 30 in the heart of the capital, Mexico, in the immense Zocalo Plaza, where the government buildings reside. The popular mobilization does not cease to grow. Since Sunday, thousands of workers and youth have set up camps in the Zocalo and in the adjacent avenues. The right-wing candidate was officially declared winner, with less than a 1% lead on the left-wing candidate, Lopez Obrador, the candidate of the PRD. The demonstrators are calling for a vote recount, voting box by voting box. They accuse the regime of electoral fraud and demand the respect of popular sovereignty. The electoral tribune, after having received these accusations, multiplied its declarations recognizing, for the first time, that thousands of ballots were lost and many of polling places were marred by anomalies. There is no doubt that there was fraud. The regime, used to receiving the support of the American embassy, habitually resorts to these methods. Considering himself to be the elected president, Lopez Obrador called on the three million people present on July 30 to continue the mobilization: "We must take the initiative to develop our capacity of self-organization," he stated. The members of the Democratic and Independent Workers Party (PTDI, on the basis of the call by Lopez Obrador for the National Democratic Convention of September 16, calls for the election of delegates in all the workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, unions, and peasants´ organizations. The call states: "The need to fight for the defense of the national patrimony signifies struggling for the full renationalization of PEMEX, so that the enterprise be completely in conformity with expropriation decree of 1938. This means it is necessary to fight for the abrogation of NAFTA, which today threatens the life of millions of peasants by permitting the complete entrance of corn and grain of the North-American agro-industry companies beginning in January 2008."
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