Elaine Bernard
In
contrast to organized labor’s division over what should be done about the Kosovo
crisis, the current mayhem and mass killing in East Timor has galvanized a
powerful and unified response from unions internationally. Organized labor, and
most especially unions in Australia, Canada, and Europe have not only fired off
press statements, but they have also been urging their members to join with
other groups in protest. Additionally, where possible, they have urged unions to
take political, financial and even industrial action to pressure their own
governments and the Indonesian government to stop the killing and recognize the
results of the August 30th referendum which voted overwhelmingly for
independence of East Timor. Even the historically cautious and somewhat
conservative international labor central, International Confederation of Free
Trade Unions (ICFTU) has sprung into action, condemning the Indonesian
government and military and calling on their members – 213 member
organizations in 143 countries – to take action.
It’s
unfortunate and a long forgotten tragedy that the labor movement had not rallied
support to the people of East Timorese 24 years ago when Indonesia first invaded
and occupied the territory – waging a genocidal campaign against the
indigenous population and crushing their human rights. But a Cold War-driven
approach to international relations within the labor movement prevented most
national labor federations and the ICFTU from taking effective action against
Indonesian aggression. Today, however, as unions rally to the cause of peace,
democracy and the rule of law for the people of East Timor, labor is taking
important steps in forging a new, international solidarity, based on universal
human and labor rights. And that’s why it is so important for labor to join
forces with its allies in the community on behalf of the rights of the people of
East Timor. Universal rights, whether labor or human rights, need to be observed
and movements need to be organized and mobilized to see that they are enforced.
Without human rights there can be no labor rights.
The
ICFTU, in a statement dated 10th September 1999, "invited its affiliated
organisations thoughout the world to join a large mobilisation campaign aimed at
isolating Indonesia politically and economically at the world level and ensuring
the immediate despatch of an international force to East Timor in order to halt
massacres and enforce the ‘sovereign decisions’ of the Timorese people and of
the United Nations." Additionally, the ICFTU announced that it was
preparing plans for a "large-scale, world-wide mobilization" for
September 30th, one month to the day after the referendum in which the East
Timorese chose independence.
In
its most recent statement issued on September 13th, Bill Jordan, General
Secretary of the ICFTU, asked trade unions to continue their pressure on
"their national governments in order that they formally recognise East
Timor independence." Jordon further urged, "the suspension or cut of
all military aid and/or co-operation to Indonesia" and for unions "to
keep the pressure on Indonesia."
This
week alone, unions in Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands,
Israel, San Marino, Portugal and Spain have all mounted protests or actions. In
a press release dated September 13th, Jennie George, President of the Australian
labor central, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and titled
"union action to continue until peace restored in East Timor" outlined
the "Campaign for Peace" which calls for "bans to be placed on
all Indonesian government and commercial interests in Australia; the withdrawal
of services (other than those considered essential) from Indonesian government
and commercial interests; and a consumer boycott of Indonesian products and
services." The ACTU has also called for the Australian government to
"provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the East Timorese
refugees," and for international financial agencies such as the World Bank,
IMF to suspend assistance to Indonesia until peace is restored.
In
a bold move, Ken Georgetti, the recently elected President of the Canadian
Labour Congress, has issued a "hot cargo" ban on Indonesian goods,
asking port, transportation and communication unions to investigate "what
steps they can take to impede the flow of goods to and from Indonesia."
Georgetti has called on union members to boycott consumer goods made in
Indonesia with a list of products to be boycotted posted on the CLC website and
he promises the ban will remain in place until:
- the Indonesian military brings the militias under control in East Timor, and
withdraws troops responsible for the atrocities;
- Indonesia guarantees the safety and health of refugees who have fled or been
deported to the camps of West Timor;
- Indonesia actively assists international peacekeepers, and helps humanitarian
agencies provide food and other supplies to East and West Timor;
- Indonesia allows the UN to supervise the return of East Timorese forcibly
deported.
In
a shot at the Canadian government, Georgetti observed that "they seem to be
far more concerned about good relations with Indonesia, than they have about
stopping the slaughter of the East Timorese." Noting that Indonesia is
Canada’s largest investment destination in South East Asia with over 100
Canadian-based companies with investments valued at over $ 8 billion (CDN),
Georgetti called on Canadian business to "announce a temporary halt to new
investment, and aid for Indonesia" until there is "firm evidence that
the killing and the terror have ended."
In
a provocative show of solidarity, Canada’s postal workers (Canadian Union of
Postal Workers CUPW) was one of the first unions to respond to the "hot
edict" and the call for solidarity refusing to deliver mail to the
Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa.
The
AFL-CIO has also condemned the slaughter in East Timor, in a press release
issued September 13th. This tepid statement, however, is full of ambiguous
language and contains no call for action by US unions. For example, the
statement observes that "the Indonesian government must understand that the
tragedy which has unfolded in East Timor will have real consequences on the
country’s economic recovery and on the willingness of the international
community to continue to provide much-needed assistance." What is the
AFL-CIO proposing we should do to help the Indonesian government come to this
understanding? Expressing grave concern about the "deteriorating situation
in East Timor" and condemning the Indonesian government for its failure to
"maintain law and order and to protect the people of East Timor," the
statement fails to identify the perpetrators – the Indonesian military and
their militias – nor outline any specific action that the AFL-CIO would call
on the US government, business, unions or even concerned citizens to engage in
to stop this human tragedy.
With
human rights, religious, student and community groups internationally joining in
common cause to support the people of East Timor and to demand that their
government take immediate and effective action to stop the killing and honor the
results of the referendum on independence, US labor has a unique opportunity to
be a powerful force within this coalition. But alas, the one statement that the
AFL-CIO has issued to date fall far short of the energy, power and imagination
that labor internationally is bringing to this worthy cause.
Labor
Start (for updates on international labor and East Timor)
http://www.labourstart.org/
ACTU
(East Timor Campaign website) http://www.actu.asn.au/campaigns/timor/index.htm
AFL-CIO
(Press Release on East Timor) http://www.aflcio.org/publ/press99/pr0913.htm
CLC
ICFTU
