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Group for Social and Corporate
Responsibility in Cuba acts to protect workers'
rights
Calls on Cuban regime and foreign investors
to cease abuse of Cuban workers
WASHINGTON, D.C., May1 (GRSCC) - In observance
of International Worker's Day, the Group
for Social and Corporate Responsibility
in Cuba (GSCRC) today called on the Cuban
regime and foreign investors in Cuba to
respect worker's rights as outlined in the
International Labor Organization's (ILO)
conventions recently ratified by Cuba.
"The Cuban regime has a responsibility
under international law to respect the 89
conventions of the International Labor Organization
it has ratified and to respect Cuban worker's
basic rights as outlined in the U.N.'s international
charter on human rights", said GSCRC
Director Joel Brito
Founded in early-April as a cooperative
effort among independent labor unions and
nonprofit organizations from the United
States, Europe and Latin America, the GSCRC
works to raise international awareness of
the Cuban regime's systematic violations
of ILO conventions and highlight the responsibilities
foreign investors in Cuba have towards their
laborers.
"Foreign investors profit millions
of dollars each year on backs of Cuban workers,"
said Brito. "On this anniversary of
international labor day we are simply asking
foreign investors to afford Cuban laborers
the same basic rights their employees enjoy
at home." Currently, foreign investors
are forced by Cuban Law to contract Cuban
workers through the state's national employment
agency, which collects wages from foreign
investors in their respective currencies;
in turn paying Cuban workers a fraction
of the amount collected in local currency.
These practices are a blatant violation
of ILO conventions signed by Cuba. Cuban
law denies workers the right to freely unionize,
except under the Communist regime's Central
de Trabajadores de Cuba.
"The GSCRC demands the immediate release
of the seven independent labor leaders imprisoned
by the Castro regime for their efforts to
promote labor rights on the island "
concluded Brito.
The members of GSCRC unanimously approved
a set of resolutions at its April meeting
in Madrid. The resolutions can be found
attached below.
Contact: Joel Brito, 305-776-8016
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