Volume 11, No.2 - June - August 2002

International

 

 

 

The following report comes from Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU - May First Movement), in the Philippines.

On 28 June, 500 members of the Philippine National Police, the Regional Special Action Force (RSAF) and private security guards dispersed a legitimate protest action by workers picketing at Nestlé-Cabuyao.
Batons, stones, teargas and water cannons met the workers who tried to restore their picket line at the company's gates. At least 10 strikers and supporters were hurt. Felicisimo Pastolero, a Nestlé worker and local council member, was severely injured and suffered a 5-stitches wound in the head.

Going amok, the guards chased the workers, even when they had already retreated to nearby communities. Guards threw stones, damaging the windows of some of the houses in the community.
Since then, police have subjected at least three nearby communities to zoning and surveillance and on 30 June a security guard fired shots in the air, apparently to terrorize the residents and stop them from supporting the workers' legitimate strike.

The area has been virtually turned into a military camp. At least 200 security guards have manned Nestlé's gates and a number of military personnel stay inside the factory. Four container cargo crates and barbed wire are permanent fixtures at the gates.
Union leaders are also subjected to surveillance. On 4 July a green Honda Civic car tailed the vehicle that union vice-president, Noel Alemania, and five other workers were in. Nearing a tollgate in Laguna, the car overtook their vehicle and fired shots in the air before finally speeding off. Obviously, the incident was another form of intimidation of Nestlé workers.

The communities surrounding Nestlé have circulated a petition calling for the withdrawal of troops and security guards by the company. They say the military's mere presence in the area sows fear and terror among the residents. The petition cites several incidents involving the police and security guards, such as their rude attitude and behaviour (especially when under the influence of alcohol) sexual harassment, provocation and firing shots in the air.

They also complained about the harassment of picketing workers, in which some houses were damaged. Moreover the harassments is being witnessed, especially by children and youth, which has a psychological implication.
In this light, we are asking you for support and solidarity for the Nestlé workers' on-going struggle. Any moral or financial support extended to uplift the worker's morale and to help them continue with the fight towards victory will be highly appreciated.

You can do any or all of the following:
a) Send protest letters to the Nestlé management in the Philippines and Switzerland (the mother company) urging them to settle the labour conflict immediately
b) Send solidarity message to the Nestlé union
c) Hold pickets and other protest actions at Nestlé offices in your respective countries
d) Actively campaign for the boycott of all of Nestlé products
e) Raise financial support for the strike.
Please inform us of any actions you undertake. Kindly furnish the KMU International Department copies of your letter/s. Following are addresses where you can send your protest letters:

Juan B. Santos, CEO & President
Nestlé Centre, 31 Plaza Drive,
Rockwell Centre, Makati City, Philippines.

Fax No. (632) 8906681
Email: JuanB.Santos@ph.nestle.com

Peter Brabeck
Chief Executive Officer
Nestlé, Vevey
Switzerland

Email: Peter.Brabeck_Letmathe@nestle.com

Hon. Patricia Sto. Tomas
Labour Secretary
Department of Labour and Employment
7th Floor, DOLE Building
Muralla Street, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines

email: sto-tomapat@pacific.net.ph
fax: 0063-2-527 3494

Solidarity messages can be sent to:

Mr. Diosdado Fortuna
President, UFE-DFA-KMU
C/o KMU International Dept.
Balai Obrero Foundation
63 Narra St. Proj. 3, Q.C., Philippines

e-mail: kmuid@i-manila.com.ph

Boycott Nestlé!

In light of Nestle-Cabuyao's continuing harassment of its striking workers, coupled with the utter disregard of Nestlé to Philippine laws, the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU, May First Movement) is strengthening its campaign for the boycott of all Nestlé products. These are some of the products to be boycotted:

Nescafe

 Coffee-mate
Milo Bear brand
Nido Nestogen
Lactogen Nesvita
Chamito Chocolait
Freshmilk Multi-purpose cream



All Nestlé chocolate products

 

COSATU is continuing to march and picket in solidarity with the people of Palestine. It is pleased to see that its demand for national sovereignty for Palestine is shared by a significant organization within Israel, who has sent this message.

The DFPE (Hadash in Hebrew) is a Jewish-Arab movement with rich and consistent experience in social and political struggles. It is composed of the Communist Party of Israel (established in 1919), local branches and Jewish and Arab groups and individuals.
The DFPE has three deputies (MPs) in the Israeli parliament, out of 120, a number of mayors, including the city of Nazareth, members of local councils, including Tel Aviv and Haifa and significant representation in the General Federation of Labour (Histradut).

DFPE, by its activities and by virtue of its Jewish Arab composition, has fortified its position as the main consistent, authentic left in Israel. In its long years of struggle, it has contributed to changes in public opinion regarding issues of peace and equality, while remaining faithful to the overall interests of the two peoples - Israelis and Palestinians (at one point it was the only formation which called for two states for two peoples).
The DFPE peace platform, as it appears in its programme, is of particular importance these days during the current restoration of the Israeli occupation:

1. Evacuation of all the settlements and Israeli withdrawal from all the Palestinian territories conquered in the June 1967 war [from all of the territories of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.]
2. Recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to establish its own independent and sovereign state in the territories alongside the State of Israel.
3. The June 4 1967 lines will become the recognized and secure borders between the State of Israel and the Palestinian State and the Arab countries. The Golan will be returned to Syria and Israel will withdraw to the international border with Lebanon.
4. In the framework of a permanent and stable peace settlement, West Jerusalem will be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel and East Jerusalem - the capital of independent Palestine. The accords will ensure cooperation between the two capitals, free access to the Holy Places and free movement between the two parts of the city.
5. A just solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees will be secured in accordance with the UN resolutions (which recognize their right to choose between return to their homeland or to receive compensation) and in the framework of the negotiations.
6. The peace provisions will be anchored in agreements that will provide the legal basis for peaceful co-existence between states and non-interference of one state in the affairs of the other.
DFPE is the only political framework that supports reserve soldiers and young conscripts who refuse military service in the Palestinian territories.

Together with the unequivocal condemnation of attacks on innocent Israelis and Palestinians, the DFPE sees the source of these criminal acts in the continuing occupation and in the disruption of the political process for ending the occupation - for which the Sharon-Peres government is responsible.
DFPE condemns the policies of the American government and its president George Bush for extending full and complete backing to the Israeli occupation, which is an act of state terrorism continuing for 35 years.

The demand for a change in the Palestinian leadership, as a condition for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, is considered by the DFPE, a demagogic manoeuvre and intervention in the internal affairs of the Palestinian people.

The DFPE is an active partner in all the protest activity of the peace movements in Israel. Its representatives in all bodies carry the flag of this struggle. The DPFE also organizes a wide range of activities distinctive for it, such as the recent demonstration opposite the American Embassy in Tel Aviv against Bush's speech and the US support for Sharon on June 30, 2002.

Hadash - P.O.Box 26205, Tel-Aviv 61261, Israel
Tel. + 972.3.6293944 / Fax + 972.3.6297263
info@hadash.org.il / www.HADASH.org.il


 

"Being internationalist is paying our debt to humanity" - Comrade Fidel Castro, 5 December 1988

The Friends of Cuba Society (FOCUS) recently held a national meeting to shape a common strategy with the aim of establishing a national solidarity network in October this year.
FOCUS was set up to try to repay the debt that South Africa owes the people and government of Cuba. Its basic aim is to promote international solidarity through dialogue, exchange and action between South Africa and Cuba and organise activities to deepen the level of friendship and understanding between the peoples of South Africa and Cuba.

For 43 years Cuba has been a beacon of hope for the people of the world, keeping the flag of socialism flying high.
The creation of a national FOCUS structure would be a historic step forward and a great opportunity for South Africans to play their part in defending the Cuban revolution survival against the latest attempts by the US imperialists to destabilise its sovereignty.

Ten American presidents, from Eisenhower to Bush, have striven to overthrow the regime of Comrade Fidel Castro which was swept into power by the people of Cuba in 1959. All have failed. They have used threats, sanctions, blockades and propaganda. But none have succeeded in removing a government which has put the interests of the people first and proved to the world that national liberation, democracy and socialism are not just words but can become a living reality.

Not only the people of Cuba have benefited from the success of their revolution. Fidel Castro's commitment to international solidarity with the struggling people of the world has helped others to take the same road.
For the people of South Africa, Cuba's military intervention in the civil war in Angola became a decisive turning point in our struggle against apartheid capitalism. The battle of Cuito Cuanavale in 1987 threw back the advance of apartheid South Africa's troops and started a process of unravelling the old regime which culminated in our victory for democracy and national liberation in 1994.

More recently we have seen another fine example of international solidarity, with Cuba's decision to send doctors to help us build our health service, especially in the poorest communities.

The role of FOCUS

Over the last decade, FOCUS has organised many activities to fulfil these aims. It has:

Most recently the Cape Town group have signed up new members, sent out newsletters, set up a web site and raised funds. FOCUS groups in Free State and Limpopo were launched in May 2002 and in the Northern Cape in June. FOCUS Gauteng has continued to play its pioneering role.

Political defence

The meeting agreed that our central task must be to win the battle of ideas by keeping the South African people informed with accurate reports on the real situation in Cuba and counter the lies and distortions spewed out by US government agencies and media. We must keep reminding our people of the huge advances made by the Cuban people since 1959 in the fight against illiteracy, disease, poverty, child mortality and underdevelopment.
Even such an unlikely source as World Bank president James Wolfensohn was forced to admit in 2001 that President Fidel Castro was doing "a great job" in providing for the social welfare of the Cuban people. He said this after his organisation published evidence that Cuba was doing better than virtually all other poor countries in health and education provision, despite the US trade embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Union which had previously assisted the island state.

Not only has Cuba's record in welfare provision assisted the Cuban people but it has become the living proof that the kind of pro-capitalist economic policies advocated by the World Bank are not the way to end poverty and underdevelopment. Cuba has proved what we are still struggling to convince our own government - that the so-called 'Washington consensus' of neo-liberal orthodoxy keeps the majority of people in poverty and benefits only a small, wealthy minority.

FOCUS needs to take advantage of the many contacts it has in the ANC and SACP to influence the South African government to take a more proactive stance in promoting the cause of Cuba in world forums like the UN and WTO and taking the lead in the international campaign to force the US to end its economic blockade.
It must also consolidate and extend its relationship with the trade unions, especially COSATU, which can take the message into the working class, whose support is crucial in international solidarity campaigns like ours.
One avenue which FOCUS is looking at is a Cuban Film Festival.

Solidarity action

To back up the political arguments, FOCUS is committed to mobilise action in support of the people of Cuba. The US government must be constantly reminded that the people of the world have not forgotten Cuba, nor the hardship their blockade has imposed on the people.
We must therefore be vigilant and lose no opportunity to throw the spotlight on Cuba and fight back against any moves by the US to undermine it.
Some events can be planned in advance. Others will require a swift response when new developments in Cuba unfold, especially any escalation of US attacks. These will be met with an instant response from FOCUS, in the form of press statements, TV and radio interviews, pickets of the US embassy and consulates and marches and demonstrations.

Organisation

Finally, it was agreed that FOCUS must strengthen its organisation. This is never easy when all the work has to be done on a voluntary basis. There needs to be a close working relationship between the newly elected office bearers to ensure that the programme of action adopted at the national meeting is implemented as effectively as possible. The historic creation of a national structure will then give us the opportunity to spread the work and increase our impact.

"We have shown solidarity with the world; it's not our task now to talk about this solidarity. As far as our solidarity is concerned, we should do the most and talk the least… for us, solidarity and internationalism are a matter of principle, and a sacred one at that." - Comrade Fidel Castro, 25 November 1994.


By Louis Belanger ICFTU Press Officer

Obstruction of union work, intimidation, arrests and even deaths of strikers again characterised the very sombre picture of anti-union repression in Africa in 2001. Zimbabwe alone accounted for the three dead workers on this continent and for 223 of the 282 cases of injured trade unionists throughout the 37 African countries covered by the new Survey by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

On 8 August 2001, at the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO) collective bargaining was at a standstill. Since they were no longer able to discuss the issues of wages and benefits, thousands of workers at the factory followed traditional union procedures and went on strike. The army opened fire and two of the strikers, Samuel Masivatsa and Never Daniels, were shot dead. A third worker also hit by bullets, J. Zimba, died shortly afterwards.

In addition to such extreme acts of violence perpetrated by the public authorities, the ICFTU Survey denounces the huge increase in other forms of repression in the region. The techniques used to bully workers and their representatives have ranged from brutality (282 cases listed in 2001) to arrests (185 cases listed), and have included many sackings of trade unionists (4067 cases listed).

Leading exponents of repression: Zimbabwe and Swaziland

Zimbabwe accounts for a total of 223 of the 282 cases of injured and assaulted trade unionists listed from the 37 African countries covered by the Survey. Members of the ZCTU confederation, which has incurred considerable governmental wrath owing to its desire for reforms and opposition to the regime, have been the main victims. Swaziland also heads the states which are particularly reluctant to introduce reforms and democracy (tendencies represented by the unions in certain African countries). In this small despotic kingdom in Southern Africa, the king and his puppet government have continued to undermine the SFTU, whose General Secretary Jan Sithole, the "bête noire" of the regime, has received constant death threats.

On 18 January, six leaders including the SFTU General Secretary were accused of contempt of court for having organised a strike on 12 November 2000 in order to present a petition to the Prime Minister. The authorities had banned the action but the strike went ahead. Their trial, which began in March, continued throughout the year.

Flouting of union rights

There is a long list of countries guilty of bullying, arrests and sacking of trade unionists. Amongst the "worst pupils" is Malawi. Here, the right to organise does exist, registered unions may strike, collective bargaining is recognised in law and labour legislation is applicable in export processing zones.
However, in practice, only 10% of workers are in formal jobs and thus covered by labour legislation. The authorities have sacked workers who go on strike (such as 350 workers from the water company Lilonwe) along with their union reps and suspended the President of the Malawi Railway Workers Union (RWU).

In Morocco the same hypocrisy prevails: the main rights of workers are very poorly respected in practice by employers, with the tacit endorsement of the authorities. Some of the worst culprits are multinationals.
For instance, when a union was set up in November 2000 in a subsidiary of the Irish group "Fruit of the Loom" in the town of Salé - where the company employs over 1200 people - a whole array of anti-union tactics was deployed. When the UMT reported the matter to the governor he announced that he did not want any unions in his "prefecture".

Bad legislative trends

In addition to the growing gulf between what is stipulated in labour codes and the actual application of such legislation, trade union activity had also been severely impeded by the negative trends in legislation in certain countries.

In Senegal, for example, the new Constitution adopted in January 2001 seriously undermines the right to strike. Workers from the Cape Verde transport firm Sotrac, who demonstrated in order to get the severance pay they had been promised, suffered the effects of these changes: several were seriously wounded when the police intervened to disperse the demonstration they had organised in front of the President's palace.

In Uganda in August, the government announced to all trade unions a unilateral ban on all general meetings, thereby denying the right of members to elect their leaders, draft policies or determine their activities. The General Secretary of the public employees union was also stripped of his post by the government. What is more, at the end of the year the government had still not replied to a request for registration presented by the Ugandan teaching unions back in 1997.

Ubiquitous repression

Many African trade unionists are continuing to live under constant threat of reprisals. That has been the case in Sudan, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea and Libya, where independent unions are simply banned. In Sudan, members of the only union tolerated (SWTUF), which is controlled by the State, were even forced to work "underground" in 2001 and report that they live in constant fear.

Elsewhere, such as Chad or Nigeria, where the unions are "tolerated", infringements of union rights have increased. In the State of Borno in Nigeria, the police used tear gas and real bullets to disperse demonstrators protesting against wage reductions.
In Ethiopia, nothing has really changed as regards the repression against the teachers' union (ETA), which is no longer operational.

Job losses and wages arrears

According to the Survey, the cumulative impact of the declining economic situation and the structural programmes supported by the IMF and the World Bank caused huge losses of jobs and several months of salary arrears in many countries throughout the year.
In Togo, where these arrears amount to anything from 8 to 15 months for some teachers, the government even issued a series of decrees ordering that teachers joining strikes protesting against non-payment of wages would not be paid during their absence from work.

When international solidarity makes a difference

The only glimpse of hope in this gloomy picture is international trade union solidarity. An example of this was provided in the Central African Republic, where the leader of the USTC, Théophile Sony Colé, was arrested by the authorities on 17 June, at Bangui airport, on his return from an ICFTU (AFRO) meeting in Nairobi. The international reaction was immediate. ICFTU-AFRO alerted a maximum number of regional and global players, who proceeded to condemn the arrest.

This pressure was key to the liberation of the union leader. In Ghana the mobilisation by the international union movement, especially through the International Federation of Building and Woodworkers (IFBWW), also enabled the successful outcome of the conflict between the Ghanaian union CBMWU and Zoe Royal Company Ltd.

For the 132 countries and territories covered by the 2001 edition of the annual Survey, the ICFTU lists a total of 223 murdered or "disappeared" trade unionists (i.e. 14 more than in 2000), with a terrifying record figure of 201 assassinations or "disappearances" in Colombia alone. The worldwide figures report some 4,000 arrests, 1,000 injuries and 10,000 sackings of trade unionists.

The ICFTU represents 157 million workers in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org



By Andrew Kailembo, General Secretary, ICFTU-African Regional Organisation

Child Labour continues to be a serious issue of concern to trade unionists. Most child labourers are going to jobs in the informal sector - the fastest growing sector of the labour market in Africa - where workers are not recognised or protected under the legal and regulatory frameworks of the labour market.

So says a report issued by the International Labour Office, which also states that the preponderance of child labour in the unprotected sector of the labour market represents one of the principal challenges to its effective abolition. Some sectors, such as mining and deep-sea fishing are obviously dangerous, especially for young, undernourished and otherwise vulnerable children.

The ILO worldwide report shows that 246 million children aged from 5 to 17 are involved in child labour. Of these 179 million children are in the worst forms of child labour, which endanger a child's physical, mental or moral well being.
Although child labour continues to be a global problem, it is particularly endemic in developing countries. Africa is badly affected. The report notes that the situation is worsened by a range of crises, which include national disasters, sharp economic downturns, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and armed conflicts. These factors draw young people into what the report describes as "debilitating child labour". This includes illegal and clandestine forms, such as prostitution, drug trafficking, pornography and other illicit activities.

Among the sectors seriously affected by child labour are commercial agriculture associated with global markets such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, sisal and tea. The report shows that 70 per cent of children who work are engaged in the agricultural, fishing, hunting and forestry sectors. Some 8 per cent are involved in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, restaurant and hotels; 7 per cent in domestic work and services; 4 per cent in transport, storage and communication and 3 per cent in construction mining and, quarrying.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are 48 million children in child labour; or 23 per cent of the world's total. The Middle East and North Africa, has 13.4 million, children or 6 per cent. The share of Sub-Saharan Africa in the number of children in child labour is much higher as compared to other regions, if we take into account that the region has only 8 per cent of the world population.

In the past few years, trade unions, working closely in some cases with governments, employers and non-governmental organisations, have carried out a lot of activities, to sensitise parents, the public and the authorities of the need to eliminate child labour.
Some progress is being made to claim children, who otherwise would have remained in child labour, back to school. But looking at the results in the ILO study, it is clear, that more work needs to be done. In fact, the report is simply a remainder of the enormity of the task, if indeed we needed such a remainder.

As we walk in our major cities, such as, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Kinshasa, Lagos, Nairobi, to name a few, we are confronted with the reality of child labour daily. This is equally the case, when we go into the cocoa, coffee or tobacco fields, or visit the war-torn parts of our continent.
I therefore wish to take this opportunity to call on all trade unionists at every level of the movement, to intensify our work in combating child labour. Children should be in schools not in the streets begging or fields cultivating the land or harvesting crops, or still less engaged in war activities.

The task of combating child labour is proving to be a daunting one, but it is a task we must take seriously. In this respect, it is important to work with others - governments, employers, teachers, non-governmental organisations and the wider community - in clearly defined programmes and with measurable targets in order to achieve success.
The future of our continent is at stake, and we cannot afford to compromise it, because of lack of foresight and determination to eliminate child labour on our part. "All children must be in school!" should be our abiding motto and commitment.

Visit the ICFTU Afro web site at: www.icftuafro.org