JRU's Motion "Attacks on Trade Union Rights " Unanimously Adopted in ITF Congress

2-9 August  2006

The International Transport Workers' Federation held its 41st Congress in Durban, South Africa, from 2 to 9 August 2006. The Congress adopted  policies for coming four years, pursuing "Organizing globally,  Fighting for our rights."

New executive members were elected, including a new president, Randall Howard, from South Africa Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU).

A JRU delegation, including two defendants of the JR electric train depot case, attended at the Congress. The Congress unanimously adopted "Motion 13: Attacks on Trade Union rights" submitted by JRU, stating that "CALLS UPON the ITF and its unions to commit to providing timely solidarity and support for unions undergoing conflict and whose fundamental right are under challenge or are not respected.

In the Congress session, two of "JRU7" defendants of the JR Urawa electric train depot case gave contribution regarding their experiences of arrests and eleven months detention with travails. Many delegates referred to oppression of trade unions in their contribution, and approved of JRU's motion.

However, surprisingly a delegate from JR-Rengo made  remarks, insisting that "JRU7" are criminal and should be eliminated from the application of the motion. 

The JRU delegation could gather more than 300 petitions for demanding fair trail in deference to  labor rights and human rights to Tokyo District Court which will make the first decision early in the next year.

　

Motion 13: Attacks on Trade Union Rights

The 41st Congress of the ITF, meeting in Durban from 2-9 August 2006,

EXPRESSING strong anger at the fact that 115 trade unionists were murdered for defending workers' rights in 2005, while more than 1600 were subjected to violent assaults and some 9000 arrested, according to the ICFTU's Annual Survey of  Trade  Union Rights, 2005,

NOTING that over the last four years, the ITF Executive Board has recorded many serious infringements of trade union rights , several have which have been linked to the strategic nature of the transport system,

NOTING FURTHER that these infringements include restrictions on the right to strike, the imposition of harsh minimum services legislation and illegal essential services rules, and the use of  legislation to force legitimately striking workers back to work,

CONDEMNING the cases of  interference in trade union business and functioning that the ITF has witnesses over the past four years, ranging from the sacking , detention and arrest of trade union officials, to intervention of union premises, confiscation of union property, beating, violence, legal harassment and long-term imprisonment,

BELIEVES that these attacks, in some cases with mass anti-union campaigns, form part of a neoliberal offensive by  governments and capital against organised labour, in the context of globalisation,

REAFFIRMING the ITF's commitment to use all means to enforce the basic trade union rights which are laid down in ILO Conventions no. 87 and 98, which is reflected on the Congress theme, " Organising Globaly, Fighting for our Rights",

CALLS UPON the ITF to work in concert with other global union organisations to oppose the neoliberal offensive, build solidarity and fight for universal guaranteed trade union rights, ensuring that the strategic role of transport is understood to be an integral part of international trade union rights work,

CALLS UPON the ITF and its unions to commit to providing timely solidarity and strong support for unions undergoing conflict and whose fundamental rights are under challenge or  are not respected.

Submitted by the JRU ( Japan) incorporating agreed amendments from KOKURO (Japan) and JR-Rengo (Japan)