Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights

Abstract

REPORT□ ITUCANNUAL SURVEY Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights I domestic threat disturbing rights Trade worldwide, vulnerable, the workers reveals report under union most rightsunder threatworldwide, domestic workers the most vulnerable, disturbing report reveals In June the ITUC published its Annual Survey on trade union rights violations (ITUC Press) Read the whole Survey here: Mp^taviyJlM-osUvi was a difficult and often ■ ■ _■ dangerousyearforwork- ^■1 ^0 ¡Hi ers throughout world, withthosewho dared standup fortheirtrade union rights facingdismissal,arrest, imprisonmentand evendeath.Thatinessenceis thepicture that emerges from theannualsurvey oftrade unionrights violations publishedinJunebythe International TradeUnionConfederation (ITUC). Thisyear'ssurvey examines143countries. Colombiais once again the mostdangerous country intheworldfor trade unionists. Ofthe76 people murdered fortheir tradeunionactivities, notcounting theworkers killedduring theArab Spring, 29 losttheirlives in Colombia.And in Guatemala yetagaintradeunionists paida heavy price, with 10 assassinationscommitted with impunity. A further eighttradeunionists were murdered inAsia. Theworldwide trends highlighted inthesurvey includethenon respectof labourlegislation by governments, the lack of fundingfor labour inspection and workers' protection, the lack of rights and theabuse facedby migrant workers throughout the world,particularly in the Gulf States, and theexploitation ofthelargely female workforce intheexport processing zonesaround theglobe. Amongthe mostvulnerable are the 100million domestic workers. The year2011 was of coursetheyearof the ArabSpring andtherevolutions surrounding this in NorthAfrica, the MiddleEast and the Gulf States.The repression of tradeunionrights has been particularly harshin theseregions.Trade unionorganisations playeda leadingrolein the revolutions,notably in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain. Theypaid a heavyprice.Hundredsof activists werekilledintheclashesandthousands were arrested.Today however the road to democracy is getting smoother, as couldbe seen from themassiveturnout fortheEgyptian electionsinNovember and thecontinued protests in Syriaand Bahrain.The creation of an independenttradeunionmovement is well underway, although thereis stillno freedom ofassociation insomenations, suchas SaudiArabia, theUnited ArabEmirates, Eritrea orSudan. Theworldeconomiccrisis continued toimpact unfairly on workers, as governments persisted in favouring austerity measures over stimulating growth and employment, saystheITUC survey. Theconsequenceshavebeendevastating, particularly for theyoung.Unemployment reached205 millionin 2011. In Spain,40 percentof young people are out of workwhile Greece has an unemployment rateof21 percent. The measurestakento optimiseprofits and flexibility at theexpenseoftheworkforce have failed.One consequence of thisfailureis the increaseinprecarious forms ofworking, making itextremely difficult for trade unionorganisations to defendworkers rights, forexamplein South Africa, Bangladesh, Cambodiaand Pakistan. "The situation of hundredsof thousandsof workers is verydisturbing," said SharanBurrow, GeneralSecretary oftheITUC."Most ofthemdo not enjoy the fundamental rights of collective bargaining andfreedom ofassociation, andarein precarious employment. Theirlivesare thrown intodisarray because theyhave to worklong hoursindangerous and unhealthy conditions, in return forsalariesso low theycannotmeettheir own needsorthoseoftheir families. Thatpartly explainstheworldwide recession." TheITUCsurvey revealshowstrikes arefiercelyrepressed inmany countries, bymeansofmass dismissals,arrestsand detention, includingin Georgia,Kenya, South Africaand Botswana, where2800workers weredismissed after a public sectorstrike. Tradeunionrights do notonly comeunderattack inthedeveloping worldhowever .Theyare also underthreat in manyindustrialised countries, including Canada,whoseconservative government has repeatedly soughtto undermine unionorganising and collective bargaining rights. Organising workersin the exportprocessing zones remainsverydifficult, accordingto the ITUC survey. Legalrestrictions persist and trade unionsarestill bannedinmostofthem. Migrant workers remain another veryvulnerable group,particularly in theGulfStateswhere theyrepresent themajority of theworkforce in Kuwait, Qatarand theUnited ArabEmirates but have few or no rights. Amongthese migrant workers aresome 100million domestic workers, thegreat majority ofwhomarewomenwithlittle knowledgeof theirrightsand no means of enforcing them.The ITUC has therefore welcomedtheadoptionoftheInternational Labour Organisation's(ILO) Conventionno.189 on DomesticWorkers, whichgives theseworkers theright toform unionsand enjoydecentworking conditions.The international trade union confederation is campaigning vigorously withits '12 by 12' campaign, aimedat getting 12 countries toratify theconvention bytheend of2012. ■ 76 trade unionistsmurderedin2011, ■ The Americas stillthe mostdeadly region ■ Thousands dismissed and arrested ■ ArabSpringworkerspaid dearlyas they marchedtowards democracy INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 28Volume 19Issue 2201 2 ...

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