12955: Guacimal workers - IUF letter to Aristide: posted by Charles Arthur (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

Letter to President Aristide from the General-Secretary of the International
Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied
Workers' Associations (IUF)

(unofficial translation from French by Charles Arthur for the Haiti Support
Group)

Jean-Bertrand Aristide
President de la Republique d'Haiti
Palais National
Champ de Mars
Port-au-Prince
Haiti

Geneva, 23 August 2002

Subject: Freedom of expression and union rights in Haiti


Mr. President,

We are very pleased to hear that on 20 August seven of the nine prisoners
illegally arrested during the events at Guacimal on 27 May were released.

In the name of the plantation and agricultural workers represented by our
international organisation, we fully support the intervention of the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions who wrote a letter, dated 22
July, condemning the attitude of your government.

The government did not take any steps to prevent the deterioration of the
situation at Guacimal/St.Raphael even though this took place over a number of
years (we ourselves wrote numerous letters to warn the Remy Cointreau
company, notably in June 2001 and in February 2002). Neither did the
authorities intervene to prevent the violent confrontation on 27 May in the
course of which two elderly people were killed, nine union members and
transport workers were arrested and detained for no reason, and two
journalists were imprisoned for several days.

Furthermore, by keeping these people in prison in a totally arbitrary fashion
until 20 August, the Haitian authorities showed a marked failure to respect
human rights.

To this day, two of them - Jeremie Dorvil et Urbain Garcon - are still in
prison. According to the information that we have received, these two need
medical attention for the injuries they received on 27 May.

We demand the immediate release of these union members, and call on you to
provide them with medical treatment as soon as possible. We also demand an
end to all violent actions against union members on the part of your
government.

We also call on you to offer the necessary guarantees of security to permit
the union members to return to their homes and to permit union activities to
resume at the Guacimal plantation in accordance with the International Labour
Organisation conventions 87 and 98 to which Haiti is a signatory.

Finally, we ask you to open a thorough investigation into the tragic events
of 27 May in order to bring to justice those responsible for these very
serious human rights abuses.

What occurred at Guacimal appears to be an indication of your government's
evident disdain for human rights and for the right of workers, whomever they
work for and whatever the nature of their work, to band together and
collectively defend their interests. It was quite apparent that the situation
at Guacimal/St.Raphael deteriorated from the moment that the plantation
workers formed a union.

We support the International Confederation of Free Trade Union's contention
that the implementation of a repressive policy towards union members will do
nothing to improve the image of your government or attract investors. Only
dialogue and respect for human rights will assure the stability favourable to
beneficial and long-lasting investment.

In the name of the 340 organisations in 126 countries that are affiliated to
the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering,
Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF), we want to let you know that
we are closely following developments in Haiti and we will cooperate with all
relevant organisations in order to obtain respect for human rights and union
rights in your country.

Hoping to receive a positive response from your government, and for the
immediate release of the two union members still illegally imprisoned,

Mr. President, please accept the assurance of our highest consideration,


Ron Oswald

General Secretary,
International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering,
Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)


For more information on the IUF see: www.iuf.org.uk

For more information about the Guacimal workers' union see the Batay Ouvriye
web site: www.ifrance.com/syndicats-bo-haiti/


For more information about the struggle for workers' rights and the campaign
in support of the Guacimal/Cointreau workers see the Haiti Support Group web
site.

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