International Solidarity (ICFTU, Union Statements)

Appeal for the release of six textile workers in Suizhou city and immediate negotiations with workers’ representatives

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has called on the Chinese authorities to release six detained textile workers, held in custody since 8 February 2004. The arrests occurred as workers picketed the Tieshu Textile Factory in the Chinese city of Suizhou to demand over 200 million yuan (over US$ 24 million) in unpaid wages, redundancy pay, share options and other entitlements owed to them by the now bankrupt textiles factory.

Expressing concern over the safety of the workers and legality of the arrests, the international trade union body urged the Chinese authorities to publish the identities of the detainees. Four of the six detained textile workers still remain unnamed and are therefore untraceable.

Three more Tieshu textile workers, Wei Yiming, Shen Bing and Chen Xiuhua, are currently undergoing up to 21 months of “re-education through labour” which is a direct contravention of the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 29 on forced labour. The international trade union movement calls on the Chinese authorities to respect the principles enshrined in the ILO Declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work which it approved in 1998.

Although a member of the UN’s ILO, China is yet to ratify many of the Organisation’s core conventions, including Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association, the right to organise and the right to collective bargaining. As a result, independent trade unions and the right of workers’ to bargain collectively for improvements to their working conditions are largely absent in the country. The ICFTU has written to the ILO Director General expressing it’s their concern at the Tieshu arrests and also the long-running complaints against the Chinese authorities on the issue of freedom of association.

Letter to the ILO: http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991219058

In another letter to the Chinese President, Mr. Hu Jintao, the ICFTU urged the country’s authorities to launch a full inquiry into allegations of corruption at the Tieshu Textiles Factory which is said to have contributed to its slide into bankruptcy.

Letter to President: http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991219056

General Secretary Guy Ryder in Brussels said that as “China’s National People’s Congress embarks on a constitutional process aimed at legalising private ownership for the first time since the Communist Revolution of 1949, its Government should be reminded that privatisation should not be carried out at the expense of fundamental workers’ rights”.

HKCTU’s textile workers’ affiliate the Clothing Industry, Clerical and Retail Trade Employees General Union has also drafted a Chinese-language letter to the central government in Chinese government expressing condemnation at the Tieshu arrests and echoing the sentiments of the ICFTU. Please contact IHLO should you require a copy.

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has called on the Chinese authorities to release six detained textile workers, held in custody since 8 February 2004. The arrests occurred as workers picketed the Tieshu Textile Factory in the Chinese city of Suizhou to demand over 200 million yuan (over US$ 24 million) in unpaid wages, redundancy pay, share options and other entitlements owed to them by the now bankrupt textiles factory.

Expressing concern over the safety of the workers and legality of the arrests, the international trade union body urged the Chinese authorities to publish the identities of the detainees. Four of the six detained textile workers still remain unnamed and are therefore untraceable.

Three other Tieshu textile workers: Wei Yiming, Shen Bing and Chen Xiuhua- are currently undergoing 21 months of “re-education through labour” which is a direct contravention of the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 29 on forced labour. The international trade union movement calls on the Chinese authorities to respect the principles enshrined in the ILO Declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work which it approved in 1998.

Although a member of the UN’s ILO, China is yet to ratify many of the Organisation’s core conventions, including Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association, the right to organise and the right to collective bargaining. As a result, independent trade unions and the right of workers’ to bargain collectively for improvements to their working conditions are largely absent in the country. The ICFTU has written to the ILO Director General expressing it’s their concern at the Tieshu arrests and also the long-running complaints against the Chinese authorities on the issue of freedom of association.

Letter to the ILO: http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991219058

In another letter to the Chinese President, Mr. Hu Jintao, the ICFTU urged the country’s authorities to launch a full inquiry into allegations of corruption at the Tieshu Textiles Factory which is said to have contributed to its slide into bankruptcy.

Letter to President: http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991219056

General Secretary Guy Ryder in Brussels said that as “China’s National People’s Congress embarks on a constitutional process aimed at legalising private ownership for the first time since the Communist Revolution of 1949, its Government should be reminded that privatisation should not be carried out at the expense of fundamental workers’ rights”.

HKCTU’s textile workers’ affiliate the Clothing Industry, Clerical and Retail Trade Employees General Union has also drafted a Chinese-language letter to the central government in Chinese government expressing condemnation at the Tieshu arrests and echoing the sentiments of the ICFTU. Please contact IHLO should you require a copy.