Anti-Cuban strategy at ILO is widely rejected
Campaign News | Wednesday, 16 June 2004
Cuba calls for a fair international order
Geneva, Jun 18 (Prensa Latina) Delegations from 11 countries supported Cuba on Friday June 18 and rejected the politicisation of a report from the Trade Union Freedom Committee on Cuba, which was debated at the plenary session of the 290th meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Managing Council.
During the analysis of the Cuba case, its delegate to the ILO Manuel Sanchez delivered a strong speech in which he denounced US intentions to manipulate ILO mechanisms to attack Cuba, and rejected the arguments with which US condemned the Cuban Revolution.
Immediately after Sanchez, delegates from Venezuela, Belarus, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sudan, South Africa, China, Libya, Nigeria, Bangla Desh and Malawi, came out in support of what was expressed by Cuba. Each of them demanded ILO Managing Council not to join the US manoeuvre, which has nothing to do with defence of the freedom of workers and trade unions.
This is the second consecutive time US has tried to use an ILO forum to find a justification for the economic war against Cuba, now tightened with the new measures announced by US President George W. Bush.
Cuba calls for fight against unjust international order
June 12: The Secretary General of the Cuban Trade Union Organization, CTC, Pedro Ross Leal , denounced in Geneva the lack of political will to solve worldwide problems like widespread hunger.
Ross addressed the Plenary of the 92nd Convention of the International Labor Organization, ILO, and in his speech criticized the sweeping rise of unemployment now reaching record breaking figures nearing one billion people that are in working age and are facing that dramatic jobless situation due to the neoliberal globalization.
The Cuban workers leader called to continue fighting against the unjust world economic, financial and political order, that according to him is only good for those who control the financial institutions and world trade, exemplified by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Ross challenged the G8 group of nations that is now reviewing Africa's problems, to provide a concrete answer to the proposal launched by Cuba four years ago at the United Nations , showing its willingness to provide up to five thousand medical doctors and the necessary health care personnel for the implementation of an Africa wide program for the prevention, control and treatment of AIDS.
The Cuban proposal includes the need that rich nations provided the necessary resources for pharmaceuticals and infrastructure required to carry ahead such vital health care program in Africa.
Pedro Ross also denounced the new attempt by the US government to try to surrender Cuba by hunger and disease trough a plan that reinforces the more than 40 years long lasting blockade against the Caribbean nation.
In his speech at the ILO 92nd Convention, Ross Leal also brought attention to the maneuvers to try to manipulate the international public opinion by tainting the image of Cuba in an attempt to fabricate the way of justifying a direct aggression following the style and of that implemented against Iraq.
Another important aspect of Pedro Ross speech was aimed at denouncing how the United States of America is using the ILO and the trade union organizations that operate within its framework with the specific purpose of trying to destroy the Cuban Revolution , in total defiance of international organizations like the United Nations.
Millions of dollars are provided by the US to try to create phony trade unions in Cuba, that are formed by mercenaries under the protection of the US Interests Section Office in Havana, that have no workplace.
Later during a rally called by the World Trade Federation and the Geneva Community for Trade Union Action, the delegation headed by the Secretary General of the Cuban Trade Union Organization, CTC,, reiterated the support of the Cuban workers to those who are against the establishment of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas organized by the US, with obvious imperialist aims.
The participants in that meeting showed total support for the heroic struggle of the Cuban people that for more than four decades has faced continuous acts of aggression from the US
government.
http://www.radiorebelde.com.cu/noticia/nacional/nacional1b-120604.htm
Pedro Ross is to be a guest at the TUC in September.
