CUBA
Executive Director of American Institute for Free Labor Development. - 1995
I would like to emphasize that prior to the Castro revolution, the labor movement of Cuba was a powerful force, and it had achieved some of Latin America's most progressive labor laws. The 1940 Constitution was famous for incorporating labor legisilation, under which organized labor flourished.
Today, the formerly democratic and independent Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC) is no longer what it once was. Upon Castro's victory in 1959, trade unions were among the first groups to suffer the harsh brutality of the new regime. The CTC was forcefully "intervened" by the government and many of its leaders were arrested, shot, or sent into exile. As the communist party tightened its grip on the CTC, democrátically elected officers were expelled and replaced with party members. Organized labor was converted into an instrument of the Party and the State.
Today, the Cuban govenment continues to deny legal recognition to the few independent unions which have emerged in Cuba since 1991. The leaders of these unions have been dismissed from their jobs, blacklisted, tortured, incarcerated and expelled from the CTC as a result of their independent trade union activities.
Through the assistance of the National Endowment for Democracy, the AFLCIO/AIFLD has been able to provide crucial assistance to these courageous workers. At this moment, there are four independent trade unions: The Unión Sindical de Trabajadores de Cuba (USTC); the Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba (CTDC); the Unión Sindical Independiente de Cuba (USIC) and the Coordinadora Obrera Cubana (COC).
With the cooperation of international trade unions, our program has been able to assist these groups in developing organizing campaigns. At this moment, they report that there are approximately 90 small labor groups throughout the island. These groups represent four to five thousand workers, who are eager to develop an independent labor movement. Some European trade unionists also report that dissidence exists within the CTC structure and that these dissidents would like closer ties to their westem counterparts.
Repeated requests of the ICFTU and the AFL-CIO to the Cuban government for an opportunity to visit Cuba has thus far not materialized although there is some realistic expectation that this could come about within the next year .
Limited by the inability to travel to Cuba, some of the assistance provided to these workers has been through activities such as:
The mobilization of international labor, including U.S. unions, to pressure governments to protest the ongoing repression and lack of worker rights in Cuba. A successful case against Cuba was presented to the UN’s International Labor Organization (ILO), through the Intenational Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), documenting violations of basic worker rights and the denial of freedom of association. The three ILO Conventions most violated and for which Cuba was cited are: 87- Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize; 29 - Forced Labor; and 111 - Discrimination in Employment and Occupation. The confiscatory wage system widely used by the Cuban government will likely add to the growing list of violations. The workers’ services are being sold to foreign investors through state-owned agencies (Acorec S.A. and Cubalse). This direct or indirect confiscation of wages (US$ versus pesos) violates ILO Convention 95 - Protection of Wages.Increasing trade and investment under these circumstances is not likely to lead to a democratic outcome.
The AFL-CIO Labor Committee for a free Cuba was successful in obtaining the release of two polítical prisoners and in publicizing the plight of all prisoners of conscience. Through the support of international trade unionists, our program has provided solidaridty assistance to these independent unions.
The "Solidaridad" programs broadcast by Radio Martí, with which AIFLD cooperates, have made a great impact on the Cuban workers. This program is broadcast twice a week and is successfully providing information on current international labor affairs as well as polítical and economic development within Cuba.
Despite all these hardships, the government has not been able to snuff out the independent trade union movement, whose leaders have joined in the rising demand for democracy in Cuba. With this objective in mind and their constant requests for assistance, the AFL-CIO/AIFLD program will continue to support these fledgling independent trade unions to be prepared to participate and play a positive role in a peaceful transition to a more democratic and civil society in Cuba. Some of AIFLD's future programs include:
1. Initiate training programs for Cuban workers, now in exile, who would like to return to Cuba in the post-Castro period to help reconstruct a free and democratic labor movement.
2. Invite democratic labor leaders from the former Soviet bloc counties to guide and assist the Cuban workers to develop labor policies for the transition to a market democracy.
3. With the assistance of international trade unions, and provided the Cuban government relaxes its traveling restrictions, invite independent Cuban labor leaders to participate in educational seminars.
END
William C. Doherty, Executive Director
American Institute for Free Labor Development
1925 K Street, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-778-6350
