Armed attacks on trade union leaders in Guinea

29 March 2012

Mr Dondo Sylla
Chargé d'Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of Guinea
258 Belsize Road
London
NW6 4BT

By fax: + 44 20 7316 1861

By email: office@ambaguinee-london.co.uk

Dear Mr Sylla

Armed attacks on Trade Union Leaders

On behalf of the TUC General Council, I should like to express strong condemnation of the intimidation against, and vicious armed attacks on, the leaders of the Confédération nationale des travailleurs de la Guinée (CNTG).

The TUC is the national trade union centre in the UK with 54 affiliated unions representing 6.1 million workers across all sectors of the economy. The TUC and the CNTG are members of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), defending the interests of workers worldwide.

On the night of Monday 19 March 2012, the first Assistant General Secretary of CNTG, Mr Kader Aziz Camara and his family were the victims of an armed attack on their home in Dabompa, in the commune of Matoto, Conakry. The ten assailants in military uniforms, some of whom were wearing hoods, were armed with military rifles and sharp weapons. After surrounding the property, they broke the main gate and the door of the house, stormed the rooms and assaulted the occupants. Faced with the resistance from the head of the family, the assailants shot several rounds of gunfire, took away several items including jewellery, a computer and a large sum of money. Despite repeated calls from neighbours, the police responded that they did not have a vehicle at their disposal and did not arrive until daybreak.

This attack came just hours after the final verdict of the Conakry Court of Appeal on the legal case initiated - and lost - by Mr Yamoussa Touré, contesting the appointment of Mr Amadou Diallo to the post of CNTG General Secretary. To make matters worse, Mr Kader Aziz Camara and Mr Mamadou Mansaré, also Assistant General Secretary of the CNTG, were questioned by the police on the morning of 27 March, following a complaint filed by Mr Touré. In view of the abject failure of the police to protect our colleagues when they are attacked by armed thugs in uniform, the prompt action on their part in this particular instance, is a sad reflection of the way in which the Guinean authorities are dealing with law and order issues.

I should like to point out that threats and attacks against trade unionists fulfilling their legitimate role as defenders of Guinean workers' rights constitute serious violations of Convention 87 (Freedom of Association) and Convention 98 (Collective Bargaining) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which Guinea has ratified. Your Government has a responsibility to establish and guarantee an environment conducive to the proper exercise of the rights enshrined in the Conventions concerned, as well as to protect and promote them.

We urge you to pass on our deep concern to your Government and use your influence with the authorities to ensure that urgent and effective measures are taken to put an end to the prevailing climate of terror and restore the rule of law and that all trade union leaders are allowed to exercise their human and trade union rights without the interference or harassment of the State.

Yours sincerely

BRENDAN BARBER

General Secretary