A key rights committee of the United Nations labour agency today identified five countries where it says worker-rights violations – some involving murder – represent the “most serious and urgent cases” among 32 examined at its current meeting.
Argentina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Fiji and Peru were singled out by the Committee on Freedom of Association of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) after Committee members reviewed cases involving rights to organize, negotiate through collective bargaining and engage in social dialogue.
The murder or alleged murder of workers or trade union leaders were central to cases drawn from Argentina, Cambodia and Peru, according to an ILO news release on the Committee’s 1-16 November session, held in Geneva.
ILO established the Committee in 1951 in order to examine complaints about violations of freedom of association, whether or not the country concerned had ratified a related international convention. It comprises an independent chairperson and three representatives each of governments, employers, and workers.
“The Committee considers it necessary to draw the special attention of the (ILO) Governing Body to (five country-cases) because of the extreme seriousness and urgency of the matters dealt with therein,” the Committee said in a 400-page report tabled at the meeting.
According to the ILO news release, the Committee dealt with the murder of four workers and injury of two others in Argentina.
“The murders happened during the eviction of over 500 workers demanding decent housing from a construction site in Mar del Plata in 2009,” ILO stated. “The Committee recalled the importance of an immediate and independent judicial inquiry in such cases to clarify the facts, determine responsibility, punish those responsible and prevent the repetition of such acts.”
ILO said the Committee asked the Argentina to “communicate the outcome” of judicial inquiries that are currently underway.
On Cambodia, ILO said the Committee examined the murders of trade union leaders Chea Vichea, Ros Sovannareth and Hy Vuthy between 2004 and 2007.