Seven Free Trade Unionists Still Languishing in Cuban Prisons
At least 7 independent trade unionists are still being held in Cuban prisons. Three were exiled to Spain in August 2010. The first five here were arrested in March 2003 during the Wave of Repression, and condemned to long prison sentences during “show” trials.
Nelson Molinet Espino, General Secretary of the democratic workers’ confederation, Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba (CTDC)
Miguel Galván Gutiérrez, an independent journalist and deputy director of the national labour and trade union training centre, Centro Nacional de Capacitación Sindical y Laboral
Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, leader of the united council of Cuban workers’, Consejo Unitario de Trabajadores de Cuba (CUTC)
Iván Hernández Carrillo, member of the national executive of the independent workers’ confederation, CONIC
Héctor Raúl Valle, a member of democratic workers’ confederation, CTDC
Since 2003, at least five additional advocates for free trade unionism in Cuba have been imprisoned, including:
Horacio Pina Borrego, provincial CUTC delegate from the Sandino Municipality and member of the Pinar del Rio Secretariat, sentenced to 20 years
Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, member of the Executive Secretariat, provincial delegation of Pinar del Rio, sentenced to 26 years
Adolfo Fernandez Saínz, member of the Executive Secretariat, province Ciudad de la Habana, sentenced to 15 years. Exiled to Spain in August 2010.
Luis Milán Fernández, delegate of CUTC in Santiago de Cuba province, sentenced to 13 years. Exiled to Spain in August 2010.
Blas Girardo Reyes Rodríguez, CUTC Delegate, Sancti Spiritus province, sentenced to 25 years. Exiled to Spain in August 2010.
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February 25, 2010
Dear Trade Union President:
In January, a delegation of union members from the Washington, DC area visited the “official” trade unions of Cuba, the Confederation of Cuban Workers (CTC), but refused to meet with independent trade unionists there who have been fighting for their right to form and join their own unions, independent of the state or Communist Party—a right supposedly guaranteed under the ILO conventions to which Cuba is signatory. On its return to the US the delegation issued a statement singing the glories of the Castro regime and noting fatuously –“we have more things in common than those that divide us”. A news article about their trip was featured on the daily blog of the DC Central Labor Council under a display of American and Cuban flags.
The independent unionists of Cuba have now written to the leaders of the delegation protesting their refusal to meet and suggesting that the delegates: ”come to see the true Cuba where we suffer and truly deserve the solidarity of the well respected and admired US labor movement”.
The letter continued, “We ask ourselves the following: What can the CTC have in common with the US labor movement? Would the US labor movement accept to be an extension of the government or political parties to discipline and repress workers? Would you accept if Sweeney in the past or now Trumka were appointed by George W. Bush or Barack Obama? We are sure the answer is no.”
One of the signers of the letter, Carmelo Díaz Fernández, was arrested in 2003 along with a dozen members on the executive boards of the independent unions, was jailed for several years and then released for medical reasons, but is still under the threat of returning to prison to finish the 26-year sentence for his union activities.
Complaints to the ILO filed by the ICFTU (now ITUC) in 2003 calling for the release of these prisoners and to end the harassment of independent trade unionists, have been reviewed annually by the ILO without any further action to condemn the Cuban government or obtain the prisoners’ release.
We hope you will support our campaign for action in the ILO and for the release of the trade unionist prisoners and all the other democracy activists who have been suffering in Cuban jails since 2003.
In solidarity,
Thomas R. Donahue, CFTU Chair
AFL-CIO President Emeritus
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Campaign Appeal for Release of Imprisoned Cuban Trade Unionists
The Committee for Free Trade Union has appealed directly to President Raul Castro, asking for the immediate release and exoneration of all imprisoned trade unionists in Cuba.
CFTU invites and urgently requests other labor and human rights organizations around the world to join us in sending the petition to Castro. The more pressure that can be brought to bear on the Cuban government, the better the chance of those prisoners being released.
These labor leaders throughout the world have already joined the appeal:
United States
The highly respected Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN) reports that at the end of 2009, there were 208 prisoners in Cuban jails who have been accused of political activity. This number includes 12 peaceful dissidents arrested mid-2009 and 25 prisoners sentenced in 2008 for political activity. At the end of November 2009, of the 75 persons arrested during the 2003 “Black Spring” crackdown, 53 remain incarcerated.
| 1. John Sweeney, retired president of the AFL-CIO 2. Larry Cohen, President‚Communications Workers of America 3. Michael Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union 4. Dana A. Brigham, President, Intl Union Elevator Constructors 5. Joseph J. Hunt, President, Iron Workers International Union 6. John F. Flynn, retired President, Intl Union of Bricklayers 7. Frank Hurt, President, Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and 8. Grain Millers International Union 9. Michael J. Sullivan, President Sheet Metal Workers Intl Union 10. Leo Gerard, President, United Steelworkers Union 11. Michael Goodwin, President, Office of Professional Employees 12. International Union 13. William Burrus, President, American Post Workers Union 14. Douglas McCarron, General President, Carpenters Union 15. John Gage, President, American Fed. of Government Employees 16. Daniel Bradley, President, Intl Union of Plate Printers 17. James A. Williams, President, Painters & Allied Trades 18. Samuel Cabral, President, Intl Union of Police Associations 19. Cecil E. Roberts, President, United Mine Workers Union 20. Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers 21. William Young, President, National Association of Letter Carriers 22. Tom Buffenbarger, President, International Association of Machinists 23. Richard Hughes, International Longshoremen Association 24. James Hoffa, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters 25. John Hegarty, President, Natl Postal Mail Handlers Union 26. James Little, President, Transport Workers Union 27. James Clark, President, IUE-CWA 28. Patrick Forrey, President, Natl Association of Air Traffic Controllers 29. Don Keefe, President, Marine Engineers Beneficial Association 30. Warren George, President, Amalgamated Transit Union International 31. John Hansen, President, United Food & Commercial Workers Union 32. Thomas R. Donahue, President‚ Committee on Free Trade Unionism & former President, AFL-CIO 33. John T. Joyce, Vicepresident‚ Committee on Free Trade Unionism 34. Bill Lucy, Secretary Treasurer, AFSCME 35. Herb Magidson, Treasurer‚ Committee on Free Trade Unionism 36. Jay Mazur, Vicepresidente‚ Committee on Free Trade Unionism 37 . Jack Otero, Secretary‚ Committee on Free Trade Unionism 38. Arturo Rodríguez, President‚ United Farm Workers of America 39. Patricia Friend, President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA 40. Ed Hill, President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 41. Aurelio Bachiller, Former Gen. Secretary of CONIC in CubaEurope1. István Gasko, President of Liga Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Hungary 2. Janusz Sniadek, President of NSZZ Solidarnosc, Poland 3. Branislav Canak, President of Nezavisnost, Serbia 4. Margreet Vrieling, Policy Officer of CNV Dutch Trade Union Confederation 5. Haxhi Arifi, President of BSPK, Kosovo 6. Hasan Abazi, Vice President of BSPK, Kosovo 7. Xaherf Xhaferi, Vice President of BSPK, Kosovo 8. Sejdi Begu, TU Miners, Kosovo 9. Izet Mustafa, TU Energetic (SPEK), Kosovo 10. Alush Hoti, u.d., TU Agrokompleks, Kosovo 11. Isa Bajraktari, TU Metals, Kosovo 12. Jusuf Azemi, (SPEVZ) Small Economy, Kosovo 13. Esat Loshaj, TU Trade, Hotelier and Tourism (SP THT), Kosovo 14. Avni Ajdini, TU Construction, Kosovo 15. Muhamet Qullaku, TU Forestry and Wood Industry, Kosovo 16. Ndue Kalaj, TU Administration, Kosovo 17. Ismet Mehmeti, TU Juridicial, Kosovo 18. Ali Shabanaj, TU Education Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK), Kosovo 19. Valbon?´ Kamberi, TU of Kosovo Police Services (SHPK), Kosovo 20. Halil Berisha, TU Housing and Municipal Services (SPVKBK), Kosovo 21. Burim Zagragia, TU Telecommunication (SPKLK), Kosovo 22. Asllqan Bajrami, FSSHK – TU Health, Kosovo 23. Ramadan Ademi, TU “Trepqa”, Kosovo 24. Fatmir Fehmiu, TU Pension Workers (SPPIPK), Kosovo 25. Shukrije Rexhepi, Women Network of BSPK, Kosovo 26. Arbnore Zogu, Youth Netowrk of BSPK, Kosovo 27. Piotr Gulczynski, President, Lech Walesa Institute, Poland 28. Milan Stech, President & Senator, Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, CMKOS, Czech Republic 29. Zdenek Malek, Vice President, Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, CMKOS, Czech Republic Latin America 1. Pedro Pablo Álvarez Ramos, Secretario General del Consejo Unitario de Trabajadores de Cuba (CUTC). Africa 1. Owere Usher Wilson, Chairman General, National Organization of Trade Unions (NOTU), Kampala-Uganda _____ ILO Committee Report The ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations issued a major report for the consideration of the 99th Session of the ILO Annual Conference – Emphasis on Conventions 87 & 98 and alleged violations thereof by the Cuban Government. Addressing complaints for violation of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948 (No.87) – Cuba Ratification: 1952, the Committee alluded to the comments of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) of 26 August 2009 and those of the Independent National Labor Confederation of Cuba (CONIC) of 10 August 2009, noting the reply of the Cuban government to those comments, declared with concern that in its 2009 comments CONIC refers to the deplorable conditions of detention suffered by trade union members and leaders who are still detained (including physical punishment, ill treatment and threats and under those conditions the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures without delay to release the trade union members and leaders sentenced to severe penalties of imprisonment, investigate the allegations of the CONIC and, if found to be true, punish those who committed such acts. |