ICFTU releases Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights violations report
07 Jun '06
3 min read
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU announces that more than 1,600 were subjected to violent assaults and some 9,000 arrested, according to the ICFTU's Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights violations, published.
Nearly 10,000 workers were sacked for their trade union involvement, and almost 1,700 detained.
Latin America remained the most perilous region for trade union activity, with Colombia once again topping the list for killings, intimidation and death threats. 70 Colombian unionists paid the ultimate price for standing up for fundamental rights at work.
Other countries under the spotlight for violence and repression against unionists include Iraq, Iran, El Salvador, Djibouti, China, Cambodia, Guatemala, Zimbabwe and Burma. Some Arabian Gulf countries continue to ban trade unions altogether, while in several other countries including North Korea, government-controlled "official trade unions" are the order of the day.
In Australia, the government rushed through new laws depriving the country's workforce of the most fundamental protections.
"This year's report reveals deeply disturbing trends, especially for women, migrant workers and those who work in the public sector", said ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder. "The death toll was slightly lower in 2005 than the previous year, but we are nevertheless witnessing increasingly severe violence and hostilityagainst working people who stand up for their rights," he added.
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