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The International Conference of the International Labor Organization adopted
a resolution dated June 11th that condemns the government of the Republic of
Cuba. This is an unprecedented event in our nation's history. The resolution,
attached herein, is further proof that awareness continues to grow in the
international community regarding the absence of freedoms and the flagrant
violations of international law perpetrated by the Cuban government against the
best interests of our workers, our labor movement and our people in general.
The Cuban government is signatory to eighty-eight ILO agreements.
Unfortunately, signing said international commitments has not bound the
government to abide by them or respect their tenets.
Cuba's incipient Independent Labor Movement has been plagued by
confrontation with the government. Our offices have been repeatedly searched
and our working materials confiscated. State Security agents spy on us and
tap our communications. Our labor activists endure beatings, and physical as
well as psychological abuse. They are fired from their jobs for political
reasons, and to top, last April seven of our labor leaders were sentenced to
a total of 150 years in prison. They are:
Carmelo Díaz Fernández, 63 years of age. President, Unión
Sindical Cristiana (Christian Labor Union) and assistant director, Centro
Nacional de Capacitación Sindical y Laboral (National Center for Labor
and Labor Union Education and Training). Sentenced to 16 years.
Miguel Galván Gutiérrez, 38 years of age. Executive board
member, Centro Nacional de Capacitacion Sindical y Laboral. Sentenced to 26
years.
Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos, 53 years of age. Secretary General, Consejo
Unitario de Trabajadores Cubanos (Unitarian Council of Cuban Workers).
Sentenced to 25 years.
Alfredo Felipe Fuentes. Delegate from Havana Province, Consejo Unitario de
Trabajadores Cubanos. Sentenced to 26 years.
Nelson Molinet Espino. 37 years of age. President, Confederación de
Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba (Cuban Federation of pro-Democracy
Workers). Sentenced to 20 years.
Héctor Raúl Valle Fernández. 35 years of age.
Vice-president, Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de
Cuba. Sentenced to 12 years.
Iván Carrillo Hernández. Exective board member, Confederación
Obrera Nacional Independiente de Cuba (Cuba's Independent National Workers'
Federation). Sentenced to 25 years.
These adverse conditions have highlighted, first and foremost, the
government's intolerance. We are worried about this state of affairs because
it confirms the process of political involution that is taking place in our
country, also demonstrated by the open confrontation staged against the
European Union and many countries in Latin America. Regardless, we remain
active, and will continue to work for labor rights and the rights of Cuban
workers to organize unions.
In order to prevent the forces of repression from annihilating our movement
with further waves of arrests, harassment and mass sanctions, we request from
our fellow labor activists across the free world to please:
· Raise your voices in solidarity with our cause!
·
Use every means available to ask the Cuban government to respect labor
rights, union rights and human rights!
· Ask the Cuban
government to free our brothers who have been unjustly sentenced to long
prison terms!
· Inform foreign investors doing business in
Cuba today that our workers' rights are trampled upon!
Today more than ever, we need your active solidarity. We need you to exert
pressure to avert a fatal crisis in our country. We, the undersigned, executive
committee members of the various independent labor organizations in Cuba,
shall continue our peaceful struggle for respect of workers' rights, and for
the right to organize free labor unions, and to train and educate Cuban
workers about union and labor practices.
We can be contacted at the following numbers for additional information. In
Cuba: 537-879-3412 or 5345-8-2845.
Confederacion Obrera Nacional Independiente de Cuba (CONIC) / Cuba's
Independent National Workers' Federation
Caridad Diaz Beltran
Sergio Suarez Inclan
Pablo Gregorio Molina Nieves
Idelmar Bauza de
La Rosa
Isabel Rubí Batista
Alcibíades Rivero González
Unión Sindical de Trabajadores Independientes de Cuba (USTIC) /
Cuba's Independent Workers Labor Union
Raimundo Jorge Martínez
Alfredo Vivanco González
Jorge Luis Rubí Rubí
Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba (CTDC) /
Cuban Federation of pro-Democracy Workers
Velsis Cabrera
Mayelín
Cedeño
Unión de Trabajadores Cristianos (UTC) / Christian Workers Union
Manuel Ismael León Paneque
Manuel Víctor Rodríguez
Rodríguez
Maritza Castro Martínez
Rev. Ricardo
Santiago Medina Galabarría
Manuel Fernández Roche
Centro Nacional de Capacitación Sindical y Laboral (CNCSL) / National
Center for Labor and Labor Union Education and Training
Víctor
Manuel Domínguez García
María López Vela
Central Sindical Cristiana / Christian Union Organization
Orlando
Agapito Alvelo Padrón
Ismael Omar Castellanos
Jorge
Magdalena Gómez
Dulce María Amador Morales
Felipe
Careras Hernández
Eduardo Bravo Calderón
Gisela
Perico Sánchez
Sindicato de Conductores de Bicitaxis / Bicycle Taxi Drivers Union
Milton Meléndez Reinaldo
Roger Benìtez Machadomarcial
Torres Guisado
Sindicato Libre de Trabajadores Cubanos / Free Cuban Workers Union
María Elena Mir Marrero
Reinaldo Cosano Alén
Federación de Plantas Eléctricas, Gas y Agua de Cuba (Granma)
/ Cuban Federation of Electric, Gas and Water Plants (Granma province)
Angel Luis Ferreiro
Luis Sergio Núñez Rodríguez
Damaris Santana Aguilera
Gabriel Díaz Sánchez
Félix
Rivero
Ariel Arzuaga Peña
Rolando Pérez Alfonso
Central Sindical Cristiana (Independiente) / Independent Christian Union
Organization
William Toledo Terrero
Ivette Toledo Mompé
Julio Román Hernández
Odalis Miranda Suárez
Vicente González Lezcano
Lourdes Milián Romero
Carlos Toledo Terrero
Asociación de Trabajadores por Cuenta Propia / Association of
Self-Employed Workers
Ismael Salazar Agüero
Osmany Hernández
Fraga
Ernesto Capote Suárez
Luz María Rodríguez
Avila
Gladis Rodríguez Rodríguez
Orlando Ponte
Flores
Versión original
en español
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