Independent labor leader Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos
Independent labor unions will be a vital part of civil society in a democratic Cuba and the pre-communist union tradition may help them avoid the crises that hit other post-communist labor movements. The independent Cuban labor leader Pedro Pablo Álvarez Ramos was upbeat about independent unions’ prospects at a meeting this week hosted by the National Endowment for Democracy and co-hosted by the Cuba Study Group.
Pedro Pablo was in Washington to testify before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on violations of worker’s rights in Cuba. He was General Secretary of the United Workers’ Council of Cuba until he was arrested along with 74 other dissidents in a government crackdown in March 2003. He is currently exiled in Spain.
He cited the communist regime’s well-documented labor rights violations, including harassment of independent labor leaders, politically-motivated discrimination in employment, and denial of freedom of association.
His testimony was heard the same week that a petition signed by 38 U.S. labor leaders was submitted to Cuban President Raul Castro, urging him to release five workers, also arrested in the “Black Spring” crackdown, for attempting to form free trade unions and to restore fundamental workers’ rights guaranteed by international conventions.
Those jailed include Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, Miguel Galvan Gutierrez, Ivan Hernandez Carrillo, Nelson Molinet Espino and Hector Raul Valle Fernandez. Another, Carmelo Diaz Fernandez, was granted leave status due to ill health.
“These are brave men whose only ‘crime’ was talking with other workers about organizing to bargain with their employers,” said Thomas R. Donahue, a former president of the AFL-CIO with the Committee for Free Trade Unionism. “Their continuing imprisonment is not only inhumane, but it is also in violation of international law and of Cuba’s commitments as a signatory of the International Labor Organization Conventions.”
Pedro Pablo’s visit came shortly before an anticipated international union delegation to the island. Western unions have been criticized for maintaining contact with the official union, the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba. But the NED meeting heard that it was unhelpful to view such contacts in “black-and-white” terms. Some visiting unionists distributed pro-democracy and free trade union documents while visiting CTC offices and some independent labor activists on the island worked within the official structures.
Further information: Committee for Free Trade Unionism, 1420 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 703.309.6657
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