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09/12/2001
Solidarity & Campaigns Bulletin - Special Congress Edition September 2001
Special Session on Burma hears from Maung Maung
Delegates gave exiled Burmese trade union leader Maung Maung, General Secretary of the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma (FTUB) a standing ovation for his address to Congress and they unanimously condemned the continuing military repression in Burma. Calling for pressure on companies who still do business with the regime, he asked for assistance to increase European Union sanctions and for unions to make complaints against companies through the new multinational guidelines drawn up by the OECD. UNI and affiliates are also to make direct approaches to companies still doing business with Burma.
Visit the FTUB’s website at www.tradeunions-burma.org and give your support.
Seven metre long Free Lee petition signed by hundreds at Congress Special Session on Korea.
A seven metre long petition demanding the release of imprisoned trade unionists in South Korea was delivered to the Korean Embassy in Berlin. About 50 Korean and other delegates from Asia and the Pacific carried the petition that was signed by hundreds of UNI World Congress delegates. The presidents of two UNI affiliated unions – Lee Yong-Deuk of the Korean bank workers union KFIU and Yang Kyung-Kyu of the public services union KPSU – are currently in prison in Seoul along with scores of other trade union officials and activists. Joe de Bruyn, who is President of UNI’s Asia and Pacific region and Korean delegate Park Hee-Suk were the only two allowed into the building to deliver the petition.
UNI pledges full support for Zimbabwe Trade unionists in fight for rights and democracy
Calls for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth and greater pressure from European governments over human and trade unions rights abuses in the country emerged during the concluding session of UNI’s World Congress in Berlin. Delegates approved a motion calling for the restoration of full democratic rights in Zimbabwe. Trade unions are also under attack by the Mugabe regime, with laws banning many public service workers from joining unions, union leaders are subject to attacks and harassment and the government has been trying to set up phoney unions to divide the workers.
The case of the ship Tampa
In particular in the case of the ship Tampa, delegates called upon all governments on humanitarian grounds to allow refugees to land in their countries, provide necessary food, shelter, health care, and legal assistance and promptly assess their cases. Delegates also expressed their condemnation and concerns to the Governments of Indonesia and Australia for their respective roles in the regrettable incident and called for measures to be taken to root out and eliminate those criminal organisations that are trafficking in human lives.
UNI to attend Special Conference for Peace in Colombia
At the UNI Special Congress session on Colombia, UNI and affiliates agreed to support the ICFTU sponsored Special Conference on Peace in Colombia to be held in Bogota in support of trade unions in Colombia. Delegates also agreed a UNI statement condemning the murders and violence against trade unionists in Colombia.
Congress gives support to workers in Argentina
Congress also gave its backing to unions in Argentina fighting to preserve social conditions in the midst of austerity following an attack on the peso currency. Congress rejected cuts in salaries of public employees and pensioners and expressed its solidarity with the people and workers movement in Argentina.
UNI’s Global Organising report welcomed by Congress
Congress gave overwhelming support for the concept of UNI’s Global Organising Report. The report including organising success stories, multinational companies for UNI to target for organising, and the results of the questionnaire that UNI undertook on what affiliates were doing in respect of organising. Full details of the Report and Questionnaire results are available on UNI’s web page at http://www.union-network.org/UNIindep.nsf/research+(Public)?open
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