Iraq: Trade Unions Banned in the Electricity Sector
The ITUC strongly protest against the Ministerial Order, Issue 22 244, of the Iraqi Government. This Order clearly violates trade union rights.
Wave of anti-union repression in Panama
The ITUC, together with its affiliated organisations in Panama, firmly condemns the violent repression of the strike movement by workers in the Bocas del Toro Province that has resulted in killings, more than 100 people injured and at least 300 arrests.
Two More Trade Unionists Assassinated in Colombia
The trade union world is again in mourning after the assassination of two more trade unionists in Colombia. The ITUC, together with its Colombia affiliates the CUT, the CGT and the CTC, has roundly condemned the murders, expressing its deep shock at the news of the killing of Nelson Camacho González, a member of the oil industry’s united workers’ union USO (Unión Sindical Obrera) and of Ibio Efrén Caicedo, an activist from the Antioquia teachers’ association ADIDA (Asociación de Institutores de Antioquia).
Workers’ rights in Taiwan
A new report by the ITUC on core labour standards in Taiwan (known at the WTO as “Chinese Taipei”), published to coincide with the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) review of its trade policies, finds that various categories of employees are barred from forming and joining unions, and that penalties in the law are insufficient to prevent anti—union discrimination. Furthermore, strikes are impeded in the form of long and complex procedures, although reforms to the Labour Union Law currently before Parliament should address some of these issues.
Iran: ITUC and ITF Demand Government Fulfill Promise to Free Osanloo, and Insist on Release of 52 Others
The ITUC and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have written to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisting that the authorities fulfill their promise to release imprisoned trade unionist Mansour Osanloo, and calling on them to free all the other 52 trade unionists imprisoned in the country due to their activities in defence of workers’ rights.