FOUR MEXICAN MINERS' UNION MEMBERS ILLEGALLY DETAINED

Four members of the Mexican Miners' Union were violently and illegally detained on January 26, 2001.  Demanding union rights in Mexico, IMF, ICEM, ITF and UNI release campaign posters and pamphlets in support of Global Days of Action on February 14 to 19.

MEXICO: Four members of the Mexican Miners' Union on strike at Gammon Gold's mine in El Cubo, Guanajuato were violently and illegally detained at 5.30am on January 26, 2011.

Juan Andrés Villa Licea, president of the union's local strike committee, his nephew Juan Diego Villa Licea, and Martín Reina Cruces and Jorge Ramón Monsiváis Ortega were removed from their houses with no clothes or shoes at dawn by the police and are detained at a local jail.

The arrests are in response to false allegations of "plundering" made by the Canadian transnational company of the workers who are on an effective strike protected by law.

"We considered this one more an aggression against the right to the strike, that is a constitutional right in Mexico," stated the Mexican Miners' Union in a statement about the violent arrests and detention released on the same day.

Two days earlier, Manny Armenta, a United Steelworkers (USW) sub-district director in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was arrested while on his way to meet with attorneys for the Mexican Miners' Union. The USW has been supporting the mineworkers who have waged a nearly four-year strike against Grupo Mexico at Cananea in Mexico's northern state of Sonora.

On January 24 a customs officer stopped Armenta's car, which is leased by the union, accusing him of driving a stolen vehicle. Armenta presented documentation to no avail. After searching the vehicle with dogs, the officer attempted to extort a "fine" of 185,000 pesos (about US$15,000). When Armenta refused to pay he was arrested, detained overnight, and released early January 25 after posting a bond of 80,000 pesos (about US$7,750).

In stark contrast, although Mexican courts have issued 20 warrants for Germán Larrea the owner of Grupo Mexico, who again failed to show up in court a week ago, the government has never been able to arrest him.

The International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and UNI Global Union have called on their affiliates to take action in support of the Mexican Miners' Union and the other independent unions in Mexico this February.

Calling for trade union rights in Mexico, the global days of action are taking place from February 14 to 19, which coincide with the fifth anniversary of the deaths of 65 miners at the Pasta de Conchos mine disaster on February 19, 2006.

In support of these global action days, IMF, ICEM, ITF and UNI have released posters, leaflets and background materials in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Japanese, which are all available on the IMF website at: www.imfmetal.org/mexico2011   This February 14 to 19, trade union organizations around the world are calling on the Mexican government to:

1. Hold employer and government officials accountable for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion that killed 65 miners on February 19, 2006,
2. Abolish systemic violations of workers' freedom of association, including employer-dominated "protection contracts" and interference in union elections,
3. End the use of force-by the state or private parties-to repress workers' legitimate demands for democratic unions, better wages and working conditions, and good health and safety conditions, and
4. End the campaign of political persecution against the Mexican Miner's Union and the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union.
   
   Jan 27, 2011 – Anita Gardner

IMF AND ICEM VISIT UMICORE PLANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

IMF and ICEM visit the Umicore plants in Port Elisabeth, South Africa, January 24 to 26, as part of the implementation of the Umicore International Framework Agreement.  Due to recent issues between local management and trade unions at the plants, the visit proved essential in delivering positive and constructive results for workers.

SOUTH AFRICA: As provided by the International Framework Agreement (IFA) signed by Belgian based Non-Ferrous metal group Unicore with the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) and International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) in 2007, IMF and ICEM held  an annual Umicore plant visit in South Africa this year.

Considering recent issues between local management and trade unions in the Port Elisabeth plants, the visit by the IMF and ICEM representatives resulted in a positive and constructive evaluation and has assisted workers in resolving some outstanding issues.

After visits to China in 2009 and Brazil in 2010, Umicore South Africa hosted the visit this year. Participants included Luc Triangle representing the IMF from ACV-CSC METEA Belgium, Kemal Özkan from ICEM, Peter Kamm, Chairman of the European Works Council of Umicore, and local trade unions, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU), and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). From Umicore Ignace De Ruijter, Senior Vice President HR, Guy Ethier, Senior Vice President EHS and Mark Dolfyn, Director HR Development participated in the visit.

The mission resulted in a number of concrete results. The mission concluded that local communication on a number of issues, including recruitment procedure, structure of employment, integration of both plants, and training and education, should be further advanced and would benefit from greater engagement by both parties. By doing this, the results are in line with the objectives of the IFA to create mutually beneficial relations an dialogie between all the partners.

The IMF and ICEM representatives were impressed by the excellent work of the local trade unions CEPPWAWU and NUMSA and also recognized that local and corporate management played a crucial part in creating a basis for better social dialogue within the company for the future. This visit will be evaluated in April 2011 at the next IFA Monitoring Committee with management. The GUF's are ready to renew the IFA in September 2011.

The local and international trade union delegation also visited a social project financed by the local company called ‘UMICARE'. The programme, while small, enables the children involved with the extremely valuable opportunity to go to school and improve their chances for a better life.  Jan 27, 2011 – Cherisse Fredricks

WORKERS AT U.S. STEEL IN CANADA TO STATE PROTEST RALLY

To support 900 steelworkers locked out by U.S. Steel last year and to protect conditions of 9,000 retirees affiliated to United Steelworkers Local 1005 in Hamilton, the Ontario Federation of Labour (CLC) is holding a protest rally on January 29, 2011.

CANADA: On January 29 thousands of Canadian trade unionists will rally in Hamilton, Ontario to support 900 members of the IMF affiliate United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1005 locked out by U.S. Steel and to protect conditions for 9,000 retirees.

On November 7, 2010 U.S. Steel locked out the 900 workers at its steel mills in Hamilton after the union refused to submit for vote a renewal contract with drastic cuts forced through by the company.

The previous labour agreement expired last summer and since then the transnational tried to impose different concessions on the union including closing the plan of defined benefits for new comers, ending pension indexing for 9,000 retirees, and different cuts slashing 80 per cent of the value of cost-of-living adjustments for active workers and the elimination of two weeks vacation time.

The manifestation, organized by the Ontario Federation of Labour (CLC), will start at 13h00 on Saturday, 29 January, at Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street West, where trade unionists and supporters will march through the streets of the city.

The ten-week lockout is the latest affront by a multinational to the Investment Canada Act. When U.S. Steel received Canadian government approval to buy Ontario-based steelmaker Stelco three years ago, it pledged to maintain job and production levels. But within a year, it had levied layoffs on USW members at both of Stelco's mills, in Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ontario, and began supplying Canadian customers with products made in its U.S. mills.

At a union meeting on 8 December, when a motion was put forward to put the company's proposals to a vote, a full 90 per cent of Local 1005's members defeated it.

The union already has received overwhelming support from Canadian unions, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Union.

The International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) delivered a joint message of solidarity to the USW local 1005 accusing the transnational of "trampling not only the rule of law in Canada, but more importantly the lives and livelihoods of ordinary workers and retirees".  Jan 27, 2011 – Alex Ivanou

JOBS NOT DEFICITS SHOULD BE DAVOS PRIORITY

The trade union delegation attending the World Economic Forum in Davos demands jobs not deficits should be the priority.

SWITZERLAND: IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina is part of the delegation of trade union leaders attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland from January 26 to 30, 2011, and joins all unions in demanding that jobs not deficits be the priority.

The delegation is arguing that policymakers must stay focused on stimulating enough economic demand to achieve full employment. The ultimate solution to government budget deficits is more employment, higher wages and hence increased tax revenue.

"We need to stop the axis of austerity comprised of conservative politicians, business commentators, and the bond markets," said International Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Sharan Burrow, who leads the trade union delegation in Davos.

The unions are also advocating:

upholding labour rights and expanding collective bargaining;
raising minimum wages and enhancing social protection;
reregulating international finance and creating a financial transactions tax;
investing in physical and social infrastructure;
creating green jobs by combating climate change;
returning the G-20 to an agenda of jobs and growth; and
reviving the Millennium Development Goals.

IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina participated in a panel discussion on the state of global manufacturing on January 26, together with Ministers of Industry of Canada and South Africa, and the Chief Executive Officers of Magna International and Essar Group.

"Industrial trade unions want to make the case for the manufacturing industry as the locomotive of national economies. Ensuring conditions for the industry to thrive and create new jobs both in both industrialized and developing countries is in the interest of governments, companies and trade unions," said Raina.

"But the jobs have to be good quality jobs, with decent wages, social protection and the right to join a union. High unemployment, low wages and precarious work have led to unrest in a number of countries, and this is bound to spread. Governments and business have to urgently address the justified concerns of angry citizens," commented Raina.  Jan 27, 2011 – Anita Gardner

POLICE REPRESS PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS IN EGYPT

The IMF condemns police repression against peaceful demonstrators in Egypt, after tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators protest.

EGYPT: On January 25, tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators protest in Cairo, as in many other Egyptian cities including Alexandria, Aswan, Mahallah, Ismailiya. The International Metalworkers' Federation condemns police repression against peaceful demonstrators.

Unauthorized by the Egyptian authorities, these protests, joined by many independent trade unionists, face massive police presence and in some cases are heavily repressed. As in Tunisia, protesters demand social and political reforms, blaming corruption, poverty, high prices and police brutality.

The IMF condemns the use of tear gas and violence against demonstrators and calls for the immediate release of the people arrested. The IMF also condemns the censorship of some means of communication in Egypt.

"The Egyptian people who were peacefully expressing their legitimate rights to social justice and freedom of expression have to be listened to and their concerns taken into account," said IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina.  Jan 27, 2011 – Cherisse Fredricks

INDONESIA METAL UNIONS TARGET EPZS FOR ORGANIZING

More than seventy unionists attend three IMF-ILO ACTRAV workshops on EPZ organising in Indonesia.

INDONESIA:  IMF affiliates, FSPMI and Lomenik, participated in three workshops under an International Labour Organization (ILO) Bureau of Workers (ACTRAV) project in January 2011 to gain knowledge and skills on organizing strategies for Export Processing Zones (EPZ) in Indonesia. The workshops were held in Medan in North Sumatra, Puncak in Java, and Batam in the Riau Islands, which is a short distance from Singapore. The workshops in Medan and Batam trained potential organizers to undertake voluntary organizing. The leadership of both the affiliates participated in a strategic planning meeting in Puncak.

Confidence building and motivation acted as a catalyst for the participants to engage in actively organizing the largely electronics supply chain companies located in EPZs which are spread around the country. The participants also learnt basic industrial mapping in the locations where they work, so as to carry out active organizing through the formation of voluntary organizing committees in the locations where EPZ workers are employed. The participants also learnt about ILO conventions and the local labour laws to understand their rights to organize.

It is a widely known fact that EPZs around the world employ large workforces of mostly women where trade union and workers' right are often denied or violated by the companies, which are mostly transnational corporations (TNCs). EPZs in Indonesia are no exception to such violations of rights and exploitation of workers. The top leadership of the two affiliates came out with a joint plan to organize these workers.

FSPMI President Said Iqbal and Lomenik President Eduard Marpaung stressed the urgent need for active organizing and empowerment of EPZ workers. IMF regional representative Arunasalam called upon the unions to make organizing a top priority given the present nature of employment, exploitation of the workforce and employers resistance in EPZs.  Jan 25, 2011 – P. Arunasalam

IAM SUES SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and the AFL-CIO sue republican governor of South Carolina over her pledge to use state resources to deprive South Carolina citizens of the right to join a union.

USA:  South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is facing a big lawsuit after saying that the state will attempt to keep unions out of the Boeing plant in North Charleston. The lawsuit, filed on January 20, 2011 in U.S. District Court in Charleston by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), asks for a court order telling Haley and her director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) Catherine Templeton to remain neutral and keep out of matters concerning union activities.

The suit charges Republican Governor Nikki Haley with violations of the federal constitutional and statutory rights to free speech, free association and due process by establishing a state governmental policy of hostility to unions and workers seeking to join unions. The IAM and the AFL-CIO filed the suit under a section of the U.S. constitution, which prohibits state officials from acting in a way that deprives citizens of federally-protected rights. (Full text on the lawsuit is available here.)

On December 8, 2010, Governor Haley announced she would nominate union avoidance attorney Catherine Templeton to head South Carolina's Department of Labour, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), declaring unequivocally, "We're going to fight the unions and I needed a partner to help me do it." The IAM suit also names Catherine Templeton, head of South Carolina's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) as a co-defendant.

 "By tasking Ms Templeton to lead the fight against union organizing in South Carolina, and specifically against the IAM at the Boeing facility in North Charleston, Gov. Haley is requesting a state official to violate the very law she is charged with enforcing," said IAM southern territory vice president Bob Martinez. "The state has no business whatsoever taking sides or exerting influence in a worker's decision to join or not to join a union," he added. Jan 25, 2011 – Cherisse Fredricks

FOUR WORKERS DIE IN AN EXPLOSION IN BAGLADESH SHIPBREAKING YARD

Four workers were killed in a fatal explosion at Mak Corporation shipbreaking yard in Sitakunda, Chittagong, Bagladesh.  IMF calls on the government of Bangladesh to ensure that those responsible be brought to justice.

BANGLADESH:  On January 18, 2011, four workers died and another suffered critical burns in a huge explosion at Mak Corporation shipbreaking yard in Sitakunda, Chittagong, Bangladesh. According to reports the explosion, which occurred while dismantling of the fuel tanker of the ship, was heard two miles away. The impact of explosion was so massive that a worker, Miraj, 18, who died in the hospital, was thrown 100 meters away. He joined the company just three days earlier.

Bodies of ship breaking workers Liton, 35, and Jubayed, 22, were recovered from the explosion site after fire-fighters stopped the fire. Miraj, with 100 percent burns died at 2:30pm, while the other worker Rubel, 25, died 15 minutes later at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Another injured worker is undergoing treatment with 50 per cent burns to his body and his colleague with minor injuries was released after first aid.

Subsequently, the High Court on January 19 passed suo moto orders directing the government to stop all kinds of scrapping of ships in the country until further orders. The High Court bench ordered to move the unclean hazardous ships from the beach. The court also issued a contempt of court against the owner of the shipbreaking yard, Master Abul Khasem, vice-president of the Ship Breakers Owners' Association and the concerned official and summoned them to appear before it on January 28.

The court also ordered the Chittagong Port Authority to form a three-member expert committee within seven days to investigate the explosion at Sitakunda.

According to newspaper reports, as many as 30 workers were killed and 16 others were maimed in the last 21 months in 16 explosions in Sitakunda shipbreaking yards. In addition, many others have suffered minor injuries and their number was not recorded by anyone.

It is ironical to note that despite the ban order by the High Court on March 17, 2009 the Department of Environment gave temporary clearance certificate to Master Kashem, owner of Mak Corporation to import hazardous ships for dismantling in December 2010.

In March 2009 the High Court ordered the government to close all shipbreaking yards running without environmental clearance within two weeks and prohibited unloading from the ships that were already imported. It also directed the government to keep imported ships available for government scrutiny. It ordered that no ship would enter the Bangladesh territory without cleaning its toxins at source or outside the territory of Bangladesh. Later the Supreme Court stayed the high court order for closing the yards but sustained all other aspects of the order. Even though the court had directed the government not to allow any new yard to start the operation without clearance certificate, the number of shipbreaking yards has increased from 36 to over 100 since then.

In addition, the court directed the Ministry of Environment and Forest to frame rules on shipbreaking based on the government of Bangladesh's commitments under the Basel Convention, 1989, the Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and the Environment Conservation Rules, 1997.

According to the reports of The Daily Star, under the existing environmental laws it is mandatory for shipbreaking yards to obtain environmental clearance certificate, but large number of them are operating without clearance. According to reports, there are 50 shipbreaking yards that have applied for clearance certificates without proper structures or modern facilities for dismantling ships.

Bangladesh Metalworkers' Federation and Bangladesh Metalworkers League launched a police compliant against the shipbreaking yard owner and called on the government to ensure those responsible for the incident are brought to justice.  Jan 24, 2011 – G. Manicandan

JOBS ON THE AGENDA WITH INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Leaders of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund tell union leaders that "Jobs are central to recovery" during a series of meetings in Washington, D.C.

GLOBAL: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and World Bank President, Robert Zoellick agreed on the importance of employment, social protection, working with trade unions and broadening the distribution of economic growth in meetings with high-level trade union delegation in Washington D.C. from January 18 to 20, 2011.

"Income-led growth is the key to securing recovery and ending the kinds of social deprivation and misery we're seeing in countries like Tunisia," said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). "We have to stop the financial elites regaining control and sowing the seeds of an imminent new crisis at a time when workers are still suffering the unemployment caused by the last one."

In response, IMF Managing Director Strauss-Kahn agreed that tackling the jobs crisis, in particular the tragedy of long-term unemployment with all its social consequences, was essential and said jobs would be a central priority for IMF actions in 2011. He reiterated the IMF's commitment to working with the ILO to establish a universal social protection floor.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick committed the Bank to consult trade unions effectively at national level, as well as sectorally, and by improving their protocols of cooperation at global level. He laid great stress on the need to address the food price crisis, through Bank actions. Zoellick further committed the Bank to support all the ILO core labour standards and to incorporate workers' protections, such as maternity protection, into ongoing World Bank work on the labour market.

International Metalworkers' Federation General Secretary, Jyrki Raina urged the World Bank to get rid of the Employing Workers Indicator in its annual Doing Business report, which gives 183 countries scores for regulation areas and ranks them in order. Those countries that offer least protection for workers get the best marks. The report has been used in different parts of the world to weaken labour legislation and to reduce social protection.

The indicator has been suspended in this year's report while a revision process takes place. Unions are promoting a Worker Protection Indicator, which would cover among other things matters such as how a country is adhering to core labour standards.

"Doing Business should not promote precarious work, long working hours, low minimum wages which are not sufficient for living, and insufficient protection of workers who lose their jobs. Doing Business should instead promote decent work, the creation of good quality jobs, and sufficient social protection. That would be in line with the World Bank's slogan "Working for a world free of poverty"," said Raina.  Jan 21, 2011 – Anita Gardner

WORKERS' RIGHTS DEFENDERS UNDER ATTACK IN MEXICO

The International Metalworkers' Federation joins with a network of solidarity authorities demanding protection of the life and integrity of labour rights advocates under threat in Mexico.

MEXICO:  The Executive Director and several members of the Center for Worker Support (CAT), an organization that has been assisting in the organizing of workers at Johnson Controls in Puebla, Mexico, received threats on their life and security on January 14, 2011, following a series of earlier threats.

The International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) joins with a network of solidarity organizations in calling on its affiliates to immediately write to the Mexican authorities demanding protection of the life and integrity of these labour rights advocates.

On January 11, 2011 at 5 p.m., Blanca Velázquez, Executive Director of CAT, tried to log into the organization's e-mail account. However she could not log into CAT's institutional e-mail account or her personal e-mail account, both of which had been hacked.

On January 14, 2011, an e-mail went out from CAT's institutional e-mail account to the members of the team, including Blanca Velazquez, as well as to other people who had worked closely with CAT, which described an earlier violent attack on an activist in Mexico.

This threat follows a series of acts of repression made against people working for and with CAT. On April 2, 2010, two former workers from Johnson Controls Interiors (JCI), Enrique Morales, who also works for CAT, and Coral Juarez, were assualted.

On August 9, 2010, in the San Luis Teolocholco Tlaxcala community, Enrique Morales, Coral Juarez and Maria Luisa Rosina, members of CAT, were threatened while doing field work with workers of JCI. On this occasion, the men said; "they knew that they were with CAT and to tell Blanca (the director of CAT) that if she kept messing with CROM (the former protection union at JCI) there would be consequences."

On August 16, 2010, Candido Corona Barruecos and Virgilio Melendez Morales, both workers of JCI and working with CAT, were beaten and deprived of their liberty for more than seven hours during which they were physically assaulted by the members of the Confederation of Union Organizations (COS).

Finally, on December 20, 2010, CAT offices were robbed and its members were threatened via a message painted on the wall that said: "YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE MESSING WITH".

For further information see the urgent call for action from PRODESC and CAT published in English and Spanish on the IMF website here.

The IMF with ICEM, UNI and ITF are holding Global Days of Action demanding trade union rights in Mexico from February 14 to 19, 2011. For more details go to: www.imfmetal.org/mexico2011

Please send letters asking for:

1. The necessary measures be adopted to ensure the life and integrity of labour right advocates Blanca Velazquez, Catalina Guzman, Victoria Hernandez, Cecilia Medina and Enrique Morales Montaño, and all members of CAT.
2. That a thorough investigation of the events that transpired immediately take place and with the highest international standards in mind.
3. That the implementation of the Declaration about human rights advocates be ensured, adopted by the General Assembly of the U.N., which establishes that every person has the right, individually and collectively to promote and procure protection and realization of human rights and fundamental liberties in national and international arenas. (art. 1) The U.N. has established that all persons have the right to have his/her honour respected and the recognition of his/her dignity, for which nobody will be the object of illegal attacks on his/her honour or reputation, every person has the right to protection under the law against such attacks. (art. 12)

Send to:
Presidente Constitucional de la República Mexicana
Lic. Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa.
Residencia Oficial de los Pinos, Casa Miguel Alemán, Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, C.P. 11850, México DF. Tel: +52 55 27891100; Fax: +52 55 50934900. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Secretario General de Gobernación.
Lic. José Francisco Blake Mora
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, México D.F., C.P. 06600, México, FAX +52 (55) 5093 34 14. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Procurador General de la República
Arturo Chávez Chávez
Procuraduría General de la República, Paseo de la Reforma nº 211-213, Piso 16, Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc, México D.F., C.P. 06500, Fax: +52 55 53 46 09 08; + 52 55 27 89 11 13 (si responde una voz, digan: "tono de fax, por favor"), Correo Electrónico: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lic. Mario Marin
Gobernador del Estado de Puebla
Palacio de Gobierno, Av. Reforma 711 Altos Col. Centro Puebla 72009 Zamora 169 despacho 2B Colonia Condesa, C.P. 06140, México D.F. Tel/Fax. 5212 2229/5212 2230 http://www.prodesc.org.mx/ 3 Jan 18, 2011 – Anita Gardner

KGB BLOCKS THE WORK OF INDEPENDENT UNIONS IN BELARUS

On January 14, 2011, six representatives of the KGB turned up at the headquarters of REP, an IMF affiliate in Belarus.  Having removed mobile phones of employees during the five hour search the authorities also confiscated computers, hard drives and other electronic storage media owned by the union, almost completely paralyzing the union's work.

BELARUS:  On January 14, 2011, six representatives of the committee for state security (KGB) presented a search warrant and entered the Minsk office of the IMF affiliate Belarusian Radio and Electronics Industry Workers' Union (REP). Having collected all mobile phones of the employees at the time of the search, the authorities also confiscated computers, hard drives, other electronic storage media and some documents owned by the union.

The search warrant was issued by the deputy prosecutor of Minsk. According to Gennady Fedynich, REP Chairman, the warrant read that, "in the course of an investigation of a criminal case, operative information was received indicating that the electoral headquarters of the former presidential candidate Sannikov was located in the office of REP at Kuhlman str. 4, which therefore could contain instruments of crime, and documents and valuables that may be relevant to the investigation into the mass riots."

Explanations that the property actually belongs to the union and has nothing to do with the headquarters of the presidential candidate were ignored. The search was conducted very thoroughly, and the chairman's office was searched for about two hours. Following the confiscation of union equipment and records, the work of the trade union is almost completely paralyzed.

REP declared they will appeal the actions of the KGB in the prosecutor's office. Gennady Fedynich explained that, "several activists of trade unions took an active part in the recent election campaign and were agents of various presidential candidates. However, that does not mean that the union's office was the headquarters of one of the candidates. All the more this is not a basis for the search," said the chairman of REP.

Since December 19, 2010, when the peaceful rally in Minsk was broken up by the use of militia forces, the situation with human rights has seriously deteriorated in Belarus. About 10 union members who participated in the rally to express their civil position were arrested and sentenced to 10 to 15 days in prison. After their release they have continued to face pressure from KGB through the administration of the enterprises where they work.

IMF sent a letter to the A. Lukashenko President of Belarus and urged him to stop the anti-union repressions and punish those responsible for these massive violations of trade union rights. IMF calls on all its affiliates to also send letters to protest against these flagrant violations of trade union and human rights in Belarus.

Please send your letters of protest to A. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

With copies to:

Public prosecutor's office of Minsk,
220004, Minsk, Rakovskaya str. 38
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel. 306-23-53, 306-24-58

Please also copy the Belarusian embassy in your country.

Also send a copy of your messages to the IMF at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

UPDATE: Early in the morning of January 21 Gennady Fedynitch, REP chairman and Nikolay Gerasimenko, REP press-secretary, were interrogated separately by officers of militia regarding their participation in the mass riots in Minsk on December 19, 2010. They were both released after the interrogations; however Gennady was promised this was not his last visit.

The same morning Zinaida Mikhniuk, REP deputy chairperson for Brest region, was summoned for an interrogation to KGB in Brest.

Late in the evening of January 20 IMF affiliate SPM received a fax from the Ministry of Justice requesting that within five days it provides the list of SPM primary organizations, their structure, membership, leaders' names and information about affiliation fees. No other affiliates of the Congress got similar requests. SPM believes this information could be used against local union leaders and local organizations and is not going to provide it.   Jan 18, 2011 – Alex Ivanou

FATAL ACCIDENT AT SOUTHERN PERU, GRUPO MEXICO

A worker at the Toquepala opencast mine has died after a landslip from an area that has experienced repeated rock falls.  The IMF calls for those responsible to be brought to justice.


PERU:   An accident occurred at the Toquepala mine, owned by Grupo México, on January 13, costing the life of Andrés Larico Mamani, a member of the SUTOTA union, affiliated to FENAMEPSICOP, a federation affiliated to the International Metalworkers' Federation.

Jorge Campos Arena, SUTOTA leader and employed at the mine said: "The accident occurred in excavation area 5. Komatsu 930 dumper truck number 23 fell 16 or 17 levels down the mine after the ground gave way under the weight of the truck as Andrés Larico positioned it ready for loading, close to the edge of that level. Each level is 15 to 17 metres high, so we are talking about a fall of 250 metres," explained Campos.

The union leader said his shift started one hour after the accident and, in his capacity as union leader, he demanded to be taken to the area of the tragedy, but the company refused. Campos said that he continued to insist but was not allowed access. The union regrets the company's decision to prevent its participation in the search for the body of their work colleague. The company informed the union of the incident eighteen hours after it happened.

SUTOTA later submitted a request to the Labour Commission of the National Congress, demanding a detailed investigation of the case. "The accident happened because of a landslip from an area that had experienced repeated rock falls, a sufficient reason to conclude that it was the result of unsafe conditions and therefore entirely the responsibility of Southern Peru Grupo Mexico," said the union.

The IMF and SUTOTA request that those responsible for the fatal accident are brought to justice and that Grupo México guarantees the safety of its workplaces. The IMF regrets that once more a worker has lost his life because of unsafe working conditions and that the union is being prevented from having a role in the investigation of the accident.

The victim's body has still not been recovered. The union said it, "will not allow our colleague to remain buried in the mine and we will go on strike if the company does not try to recover the body."   Jan 17, 2011 – Valeska Solis