The delegation sent by the Nicaraguan dictatorship to the 111th. International Labor Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland, tried to lie blatantly in the plenary session of the world meeting saying that they promote free unionization and that they defend the rights of workers, however, they did not believe him, according to what he informed Article 66 a source he knew from the meetings.
At the time this information was sent to us from Geneva, the conclave was working on the drafting of two resolutions that will be published in the next few hours, in which they will urge the Government of Managua to put an end to discrimination for political reasons, to allow free unionization and free organization of employers.
The CIT is held every year, convened by the International Labor Organization (ILO), to review compliance with the agreements signed by the more than 180 member countries, in labor matters. In this conclave, which began on June 5 and ends on Thursday the 16th, the delegation of the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime assured the delegates that in Nicaragua the free unionization of workers is promoted, that there is no discrimination and that there is free organization of employers.
The Government sent Leonardo Zacarías Corea Torres to Geneva as the employers’ representative; As a trade unionist he sent one of his most loyal servants, the deputy to the Central American Parliament and eternal president of the National Association of Educators of Nicaragua (Anden), José Antonio Zepeda López, and for the Government he delegated Rosalía Concepción Bohórquez Palacios, ambassador to the United Nations Organization (UN).
Related news: Free Trade Zones in Nicaragua: Exploitation, bad treatment and bad pay
The ILO Commission of Experts, which reviewed Convention 87, referring to freedom of association and the protection of the right to organize, and Convention 111: on discrimination in employment and occupation, after verifying evidence, determined that it is not true that the State of Nicaragua, administered by the dictators Ortega and Murillo, comply with ILO standards, as revealed by the source who is in the middle of these meetings.
According to the documentation of these sessions, to which this medium had access, in the resolution for non-compliance with Convention 111, the ILO Committee of Experts took note “with deep concern” of the climate of violence, insecurity and intimidation that prevails in Nicaragua, which promote acts of “discrimination in employment and occupation, based on political opinion.”
Given the seriousness of the situation, the ILO will urge the government of Daniel Ortega to adopt, in consultation with social partners, 11 recommendations, among which stand out: put an end to the climate of violence, insecurity and intimidation in the country; eliminate discrimination in employment and occupation, and provide adequate protection for workers in case of discrimination on the grounds of political opinion.
Likewise, they will recommend that the Ortega-Murillo regime “provide adequate means of reparation, in particular the restoration of nationality and the restitution of the assets seized from those who have been discriminated against for reasons of political opinion.” The CIT will ask the Ortega regime to report on progress on the recommendations no later than September 1 of this year, the informant alerted us.
Related news: Free zone workers without law or unions to protect them
In the second resolution, after analyzing Convention 87, the ILC declared itself “deeply concerned” about the persistent climate of intimidation and harassment of independent organizations of workers and employers.
For these reasons, the ILO urges the Ortega government to “guarantee that workers and employers can establish their own organizations and carry out activities without interference, including Cosep,” says the documentation related to the final resolution.
They also demand that the dictatorship put an “immediate end to all acts of violence, threats, persecution, stigmatization, intimidation and all forms of aggression against individuals or organizations, in connection with the exercise of both legitimate union activities and employers’ organizations.
The defense lawyer for the workers, now in exile, José López, described as a good initiative the resolutions that the CIT will assume for the violations of two ILO conventions and said that there is still much to be done since in Nicaragua there are no independent unions, all those that exist are controlled by the ruling party.
