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Burma/EU-WTO/ICFTU/Massachussets



INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)

ICFTU OnLine
196/980921/DD

Trade unions say that EU trade action condones Burma's pariah state

Brussels. September 21 1998 (ICFTU OnLine): International and European
trade unions said today that they were astounded at the action being
taken by the European Union under WTO rules to force the US state of
Massachusetts to do business with companies which trade with Burma, a
country in which institutionalised forced labour amounts to a crime
against humanity, and which was condemned in a report published last
month by the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The European Union has taken a case against the USA to a WTO disputes
panel because Massachusetts is refusing to award public contracts to any
companies which trade with Burma, because of the country's appalling
human rights record. According to Massachusetts, the UK-based company
Unilever, and the German-based company Siemens do business in Burma, so
Massachusetts state is refusing to sign contracts with them. US
multinationals such as the computer giant Apple have also faced action
under the Massachusetts law.

"If the actions of (the US state) of Massachusetts which put the human
rights of the Burmese people above the interests of a few multinational
companies do not comply with WTO rules, then the WTO rules need
changing, not the actions of Massachusetts", exclaimed Bill Jordan,
ICFTU General Secretary.

In August this year, the ILO issued a 400-page report by a special
Commission of Inquiry on the use of forced labour in Burma, which
concluded that there was widespread and systematic use of forced labour
on projects ranging from the carrying of equipment and ammunition for
the military to the building of roads, railways, bridges and other
infrastructure. It also concluded that the practice "often give(s) rise
to extortion of money,  ... threats to the life and security and
extrajudicial punishment of those unwilling to comply" and said forced
labour was widely imposed on "women, children, elderly persons as well
as persons otherwise unfit for work".

The publication of this recent report by a United Nations body coincided
with crackdowns against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic
opponents of the military regime in Burma, drawing widespread
condemnation from the international and European community. The trade
union organisations said they were astounded that the EU has decided to
bring this case. Just last week, the UK government called for EU
countries to consider fresh measures to discourage trade and investment,
and on September 11, the Austrian government, currently holding the
Presidency of the EU, issued a statement condemning Burma.

"It is extraordinary that one arm of the EU can pass resolutions
condemning Burma's human rights record, while at the same time, another
EU arm is helping the Burmese generals' commercial ties with big
multinational companies" said the ICFTU and ETUC.

"The European Union will now risk appearing to be condoning the current
repression of human rights in Burma in order to promote the interests of
European multinational companies" say the ICFTU and ETUC.

"Rather than seek to prevent others from subjecting the Burmese regime
to further economic pressure, the European Union should welcome these
measures which support EU decisions under its own GSP rules to suspend
trade privileges to Burma because of its human rights record", concluded
Emilio Gabaglio, ETUC General Secretary.

Note: The case is being raised at the WTO Disputes Panel in Geneva on
Tuesday, September 22.

For further information, please contact the ICFTU Press Office on: 322
224 0212
or visit our website at: http://www.icftu.org


Janek Kuczkiewicz,
Trade Union Rights - Droits Syndicaux (TUR)
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
Conféderation Internationale des Syndicats Libres (CISL)
155 Bld. E.Jacqmain, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium

PHONE: (++) 32.2.224.02.01 FAX: (++) 32.2.224.02.97 
E-Mail: janek@xxxxxxxxx

Visit the Trade Union Rights page on the ICFTU's web-site !!!
Visitez la page des Droits syndicaux sur le site web de la CISL!!!
http://www.icftu.org/

go to "contents",  then "trade union rights"