FCO-TUC work in hand

FCO-TUC advisory council

October 2007

Albania

In August, the TUC informed the FCO of its protest at the Albanian government's seizure of trade union property.

Ambassadors and High Commissioners

Since the last meeting, the TUC has met and briefed the new Ambassadors to Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Vietnam, and the new High Commissioners to India. Due to scheduling problems, the new Ambassador to Sweden was briefed by letter. Following previous contact with the new High Commissioner to Canada, the CLC was invited to a lunch to discuss welfare reform. Requests for meetings are outstanding for the new Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Germany, Ethiopia, Iraq (attempts have been made to set up a meeting), Latvia, Lithuania and Nigeria.

Belarus

The TUC and FCO continued to liaise over EU responses to trade union repression in Belarus. In June, the TUC sought the support of the FCO for continued EU sanctions on Belarus for failure to uphold trade union rights. The FCO confirmed subsequently that the UK had voted with the majority in the EU to maintain sanctions.

Burma

During the recent troubles (and sporadically beforehand, especially over forced labour issues), the TUC and FCO desk stayed in close contact, exchanging letters and information about developments on the ground and issues around the global response. The TUC supported the Government's statements on the issue, and urged the Foreign Secretary to support comprehensive and unambiguous sanctions in the EU's discussions.

China

The TUC is liaising with the FCO over a high-level TUC delegation to China taking place from 4-9 November. The Ambassador will provide a briefing for the delegation on arrival, and host a dinner for the delegation and ACFTU leaders at the end of the visit.

Climate Change

The TUC requested funding to assist with a Bangladeshi trade unionist to attend the climate change conference in Bali in November, but the post was unable to assist on this occasion.

Colombia

The TUC has kept the FCO informed about continuing concerns about developments in Colombia. In August, the Ambassador in Bogota met with a Justice for Colombia delegation including UK trade unionists.

Egypt

The TUC and FCO have liaised over support for the Centre for Trade Union and Workers' Studies in Egypt, which was the subject of repression by the Egyptian government (the CTUWS is a partner organisation with Unison in a joint project, and the TUC facilitated contact between the FCO and Unison).

FCO staff

In March, Janet Williamson of the TUC addressed an FCO Leadership Conference on corporate social responsibility.

Forced labour

On 30 October, the TUC will take part in a joint FCO-DFID seminar on forced labour, slavery and social exclusion, along with representatives of the Barbados and Ghana trade union movements.

Human Rights

The TUC passed to the FCO the drafts of the annual ITUC report on violations of trade union rights around the world, for passing on to the FCO human rights team and the posts in the relevant countries. This will be repeated in future years. The proposal for a joint seminar on trade union rights has not yet been progressed.

Iran

The TUC and the FCO desk and post have remained in close contact over trade union developments in Iran. In July, the TUC copied to the Foreign Secretary its protest to the Iranian Ambassador about the arrest of Mansour Osanloo, leader of the Teheran busworkers' union. Lord Malloch-Brown referred to the case in a recent debate in the Lords.

Iraq

The TUC and FCO continued to liaise over Iraqi government repression of the trade union movement. The FCO continued to press the Iraqi government to abide by international standards, and the TUC kept the FCO informed of developments. In May, the TUC expressed concerns which the FCO pursued over action against an oil strike in the south, and subsequently the TUC urged the FCO to take action over official memos in the oil and minerals ministries which used Decree 150 (from Saddam Hussein's era) to proclaim public sector unions illegal. Subsequently, the Iraqi trade union movement have indicated that meetings with Ministers (in part brokered by Ann Clwyd, the PM's special representative on Iraq) have produced an easing of the problems and a way forward on both Decree 150 and the later Decree 8750 which gave the Government potential control of union funding.

ITUC

In May, the UK representation at the UN was most helpful in ensuring that the ITUC received the consultative status that the ICFTU and WCL had had, overcoming objections from the Colombian government.

Latin America

In April, the TUC welcomed the new FCO Latin America strategy, but expressed concern to Lord Triesman (then Minister for Latin America) about some aspects of the Government's policy, for example over contact with Latin American trade unions and over Colombia. An exchange of letters followed and was superseded by Kim Howells' taking on responsibility - a meeting date is now being sought between the TUC and Mr Howells.

Nigeria

In April, the TUC expressed concerns, raised by the Nigeria Labour Congress, about the probity of the Nigerian Regional and Federal Elections, and called for them to be annulled. This was communicated to the FCO.

The FCO put the TUC in touch with the Chatham House organisers of a Parliamentary delegation to Nigeria in November, and as a result the delegation will hold a lunch with Nigerian trade unionists in Lagos on 6 November to discuss trade unionism in Nigeria.

Palestine

The TUC kept the FCO informed about attacks on the Palestinian trade union movement by Hamas in Gaza, and Fatah and the Israeli Defence Force on the West Bank.

Portugal

The Ambassador met with the TUC delegate to the ETUC/ITUC conference for African and European trade unionists on 26 October.

Spain

The post in Madrid arranged a briefing meeting for a high level TUC delegation to Spain in October (to see the CC.OO and UGT leaderships), but unfortunately the visit had to be cancelled due to the Royal Mail dispute.

Saudi Arabia/Sri Lanka

In August, the TUC and FCO liaised over the case of Rizana Naseek, a young Sri Lankan national working as a nanny in Saudi Arabia, who was sentenced to death after the child in her care died. Sri Lankan unions asked for help in seeking the commutation of her death sentence and the TUC raised this with the FCO. The Embassy was already dealing with the case.

Swaziland

In July, the TUC informed the FCO of its concerns about the response of the Government of Swaziland to a general strike by trade unions.

Trade

The TUC and FCO are co-operating in developing a conference at Wilton Park in late 2008 on world trade and labour/environmental standards, which both will sponsor, to follow up the 2006 conference on globalisation and labour standards.

Tunisia

In July, following an FCO-funded visit to the UK earlier in the year, the FCO funded a TUC delegation led by Sally Hunt to Tunisia to see the UGTT leadership and take part in a conference on skills and globalisation. During the visit, it was agreed to develop twinning between a UK and Tunisian trade union region.

Turkey

The TUC protested to the FCO about police attacks on a trade union Mayday march in Istanbul, and in September copied the FCO in to protests about restrictions on women at a Turkish factory, where they were required to seek permission before getting married or pregnant.

Visas

TUC liaison with UKvisas is working well, and during the period since the last meeting UKvisas have assisted with visas for Burmese, Cambodian, Guatemalan, Indian, Iranian, Iraqi, Jamaican, Nigerian and Zimbabwean trade unionists.

Zimbabwe

In July, ZCTU and ILO staff were detained by the authorities for running an unauthorised training course on HIV/AIDS. The TUC protested to the Zimbabwean Embassy, and liaised with the FCO desk and post on protests.