TUC urges Ethiopian Prime Minister to release detained trade unionists.

Mr Melesi Zenawi

Prime Minister

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

PO Box 1031

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia

date: 22 October 2007

contact: Bandula Kothalawala

direct line: (0) 20 74671257

email: bkothalawala@tuc.org.uk

Dear Prime Minister

Detention of Members of Ethiopian Teachers' Association

On behalf of the TUC General Council, I write to express our deep concern over the detention of members of the Ethiopian Teachers' Association.

Our information is that Anteneh Getnet, Meqcha Mengistu and Woldie Dana were arrested in May this year for exercising their legitimate rights as trade unionists and that they are still being held in detention. We also understand that they are due to appear in court in November 2007. We have also been informed of the arrests of Wibit Legamo, wife of Woldia Dana, and Berrhanu Aba-Debissa, member of the ETA.

The arrest and detention of trade unionists for organizing activities relating to the exercise of their legitimate rights constitute a gross violation of the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Moreover, your country, which ratified Convention 98(1963) and Convention 87 (1963), is obliged to observe the workers' rights enshrined in them. The arrests and detentions will, no doubt, tarnish the image of your country that has already attracted criticism from the Committee of Experts on the Applications and Recommendations over its poor compliance with ILO conventions.

We urge you to take effective steps to ensure that the colleagues concerned are released without further delay and that all Ethiopians are allowed to exercise their democratic rights without interference from the State

Yours sincerely

Brendan Barber

General Secretary