Rough translation of the wordy “The ILWU, China and Human Rights” resolution:
Oh boy, somebody gets to go to China!
Sad observation:
If the group that goes to China did somehow get the right information – to whom and when would they report it? The resolution being silent on that question, it seems it would be the next Convention or at best, IEB meeting.
Is this yet another way of refraining from any significant action on a hot matter until the issue is over?
Anybody going to manage to interview any of China’s almost 20 million coastal factory workers and get their opinion about helping the Chinese government? Remember, the Chinese crew that talked to one of our ITF inspectors in Italy 6 or years ago?
He got them almost $100,000 in back wages. When they got back to China, they took the money away from them and put them in prison for divulging national secrets. (Their wages!)
It would seem that sending someone to the ILO Conference (ongoing right now in Geneva) would have been a more likely way to glean useful information.
Folks seem pretty convinced that China will actually finally ratify ILO Convention 138 regarding child labor. (anybody heard anything?) While that would be a step in the right direction, there are more serious concerns that I believe I share with a number of trade unionists.
Given, the ILO has very little authority and moves very slowly. Given, the ratification of ILO Conventions does not guarantee adherence to them.
Those Conventions and adherence to them may still be used as a lowest common denominator in determining the environment of a country’s workers.
The resolution intends that some lucky ILWU tourists “make contact with trade unionists from China including government sanctioned unions as well as opposition leaders.”
This should be interesting, since all Labor organizations in the country are controlled by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), and the ACFTU is controlled by the government. There really is only one Union in China-and it is often reported that the powers that be are reluctant to permit ACFTU officials to talk.
As for the “opposition leaders,” I would dearly love to hear from Han Dongfang, who was a leader of the short-lived Beijing Workers Autonomous Federation. He was one of the good guys in Tiananmen Square back in 89.
Of course our ILWU junketeers won’t be able to find him during their stay in China! Like other “opposition leaders” he lives in exile.
Han did (in ’93) address a session of worker delegates at the International Labor Conference in Geneva, (Gee, who’d have thought?)
He said, among other things:
“It is very difficult to understand why China, a socialist country, allows economic pluralism so employers and investors can profit, and does not allow trade union pluralism so that workers’ rights can be better protected.”
Which brings us back to my ILO Convention lowest common denominator theory:
The workers listening to Han probably immediately associated his statement with two of the ILO Fundamental Rights Conventions,87 and 98: (unratified by China)
Freedom of association, and the right to organize and to bargain collectively
Conventions Nos.87 and 98 aim at protecting the rights of workers to organize and to participate in free collective bargaining. The Conventions emphasize that workers must be adequately protected against acts of anti-union discrimination, in particular acts designed to:
The freedom of association Conventions reaffirm the fundamental principles that freedom of expression and of association are essential to sustained progress.
If that is not a Trade Unionist’s minimum standard, what is?
I cannot accept opposition to these items as coming from politics or philosophy that other workers and I don’t understand. I know in my heart that such attitudes spring directly from money that other workers and I don’t control.
As a trade union type of guy, until and unless ANY country both endorses and shows sings of complying with these very basic concepts – the fundamental rights from which any effective labor movement derives its strength and direction – I will not help that government in any way, if I can possibly avoid it.
The likelihood of the present government of China making my ’friend’ list is about as remote as the likelihood of the Convention resolution junket producing anything but a few more stamps on a few more passports. Enjoy the trip!
frats,
ole
