30404: HaitiAnalysis (News) Defending Labor Rights in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From:  haitianalysis-at-gmail-dot-com


Defending Labor Rights in Haiti
<http://www.haitianalysis.com/2007/5/9/defending-labor-rights-in-haiti>

By Ben Terrall - HaitiAnalysis.com

New legislation in Washington D.C., under the acronym H.O.P.E. – short for "
the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act,"
has the goal of promoting the garment industry in Haiti. But the legislation
falls noticeably short in protecting labor rights or promoting long-term
sustainable economic development that will benefit the poor as well as the
rich.

The Washington Post editorialized about the bill: "After 15 years of
political turmoil, violent unrest and economic mismanagement, this looks
like a rare opportunity to consolidate tentative progress in Haiti. Congress
shouldn't miss it." But Tom Ricker, Latin America specialist with the
Washington, DC based Quixote Center, disagreed: "Right now Congress has many
opportunities to make a sustainable contribution to progress in Haiti, but
the HOPE act is not one of them. The bill may create a few low-paying and
precarious sweatshop jobs, but it will also reinforce a flawed model of
development that has been failing Haitians for two decades."

As Ricker elaborated, keeping Haiti competitive would mean sacrificing labor
rights for jobs that have no guarantee of staying in the country: "A
temporary expansion of tariff-free access for third country fabric does not
solve the underlying problem. Indeed, by placing so much emphasis on apparel
HOPE actually deepens economic insecurity in Haiti, instead of alleviating
it." While the high unemployment in Haiti has led to the destitution of
many, Haitian labor organizers told this author that what they really need
is a sustained period of peace and stability.

Ricker and others point to the need to revitalize Haiti's rural economy
while protecting and ensuring labor rights. According to Brian Concannon,
Director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, "HOPE has some
worker protection provisions, but they are toothless, and if past is
prologue, they will do nothing to address the widespread exploitation of
Haitian workers. It may be true that some workers make $4US per day, but
more make closer to the minimum wage of $2. That minimum wage is far below
the minimum wage of the late 1980's and early 1990's,when the country hosted
many times more manufacturing jobs. It does not support even two people at
the average level of subsistence in Haiti ($1US or below), which is itself
brutal. Even $4 per day does not, after paying for a family's food, lodging
and transportation to work, leave much left over to pay school fees and
otherwise break the cycle of poverty."

Concannon added, "All the HOPE proponents justify the Act by the benefits it
provides Haitian workers; but I have yet to hear of any workers who were
consulted about the bill, or who are themselves promoting it … Haiti's only
real edge is the exploitability of its work force, which is not a foundation
for long-term growth."

Officials of the Confédération des travailleurs haïtiens** (CTH) say that
they were not consulted by the Préval government. Prior to the election of
the Préval government, the interim government brought about a neoliberal
economic framework, the Cadre de Coopération Intérimaire (CCI), in which
workers and popular organizations were also not consulted. Thousands lost
their jobs in the IMF backed austerity measures.

Dan Beeton, International Communications Coordinator for the Center for
Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington D.C., argues, "HOPE is
part of the same old 'free trade' model of development. What Haiti needs is
a real development strategy that it can pursue unimpeded by the U.S. or
anyone else, with a diversification of the economy and mechanisms to help
ensure that more revenue stays in the country."

But in that process, Concannon notes, "one of the most important things
international supporters of human rights in Haiti need to stay focused on is
supporting workers' rights."

Haitian Trade Unionists

One Haitian labor group deserving of international solidarity is the CTH. In
an earlier form, in 1959, the union was founded during the dictatorship of
"Papa Doc" Duvalier and remains one of the most well known unions in Haiti.

While many unions in Haiti have become closely tied with foreign donor
agencies, CTH has promoted a sovereign agenda, protesting against neoliberal
policies of privatization. It has widely promoted labor rights for jobs
across the rural and urban sectors. Organizing on a progressive and
collective model its federations range from education, transportation, the
ports, garment industry, artisan work and the informal sector. The
Confederation is also involved in economic development programs, as well as
literacy and health programs. It claims a total membership of 110,000
people.

A recent labor delegation to CTH offices in Port-au-Prince viewed hundreds
of young people engaging in language courses. The Confederation, with two
offices in Port-au-Prince, is present with offices in all of Haiti's ten
departments. CTH is a member of the regional CLAT (La Central Latinomericana
de Trabajadores), CTC (Consejo de Trabajadores del Caribe), and the ITUC
(International Trade Union Confederation).

In an interview during the interim period, CTH General Secretary Paul
"Loulou" Chéry explained, "It is a crisis without precedent. Our population
has not known a situation this grave since the founding of the country… The
majority of the population has been plunged into misery, and exclusion. At
the level of the workers, there is hopelessness, as there are practically no
jobs. There is, maybe, 15% of the population who are truly employed […] At
this point; the de facto government is conducting a witch-hunt. They are
creating a situation of terror, a situation of fear, of systematic
repression. This repression has resulted in the killing of thousands of
people since the execution of the coup."

CTH organizers describe how labor conditions deteriorated rapidly following
the 2004 coup d'état that overthrew President Aristide. Hundreds of their
workers were persecuted, thrown in jail and thousands of public sector
workers were fired from state jobs. Many workers within CTH's federations
had their vehicles and places of work targeted by arsonists from the
ex-military and anti-government opposition. Shortly after the coup, Chéry
had a death squad enter his home and threaten him with death.

Prior to the coup they explain the embargo on international aid against the
elected government also created economic decline, as it pushed away
investors and harmed the ability of the government to carry through on its
promises. But the elected Aristide government, they observe, even under
these conditions backed a raise in minimum wage and various programs
benefiting poor urban laborers. Today they maintain their independence from
any political party but describe respect for democracy as a necessity. They
describe how they refused to join the Group of 184 campaign, in which
foreign donor backed labor groups cooperated in a wide destabilization
campaign.

CTH workers want a functioning country, in which they can organize and
improve their lives. Dan Beeton summed up why US citizens should support the
ongoing organizing efforts of Haitian trade unionists:

"Throughout Haiti's history, the U.S. has usually been a bad neighbor,
invading and occupying the country several times, propping up dictators, and
at times blocking economic assistance to the country. A number of
economically damaging policy prescriptions have originated in Washington as
well, including privatization of state industries and the promotion of
export processing zones that hamper the development of Haitian industry and
generate little revenue…Considering the history of the U.S.' relationship
with Haiti, Americans owe it to the Haitian people to support their right to
organize independent trade unions and advocate for policies that will foster
real and lasting economic development."

Ginette Apollon, head of the womens commission of CTH, Paul Chéry, General
Secretary of the CTH, and Euvonie Georges-Auguste, a Haitian women's rights
leader and activist will be touring Canada in May and June of 2007.  CTH
recently launched a website at http://www.haitilabor.org