What freedom of association are they talking about?
Since September 2004 at the Buenos Aries plant of Artes Gráficas Rioplatense (owned by the Clarin Group) 6 shop stewards have been striving to get their jobs back. In 2004 there was a dispute by the Union members in support of their legitimate labour rights. 119 workers, including all the shop stewards of the plant, were dismissed. The workers were reinstated with the exception of the 6 union delegates.
Despite a ruling in favour of the reinstatement of the shop stewards the Clarin Group have used the court system to their advantage and avoided complying with that decision for the last 6 years.
Because of their activities as shop stewards Nicolás Rivero, Javier Alfonzo,Luis Siri y Cristian Quiróz, Pablo Viñas and Víctor López, were not reinstated by Artes Gráficas Rioplatense for defending the rights of their members.
The Criminal Justice declared them free of any charge made by the company. The Labour Justice ordered the reinstatement of the workers to the plant. Despite these 6 members being ratified each year as the elected delegates for Artes Gráfricas Rioplatense the company continues to refuse to reinstate them and also ignores their rights to enter the plant as the properly elected delegates. It is clear that union activity is an obstacle to the Company’s objective of ignoring legitimate labour rights.
Not only is the Company ignoring these court decisions but they continue to violate the working hours, do not pay the wage increase agreed in the collective bargaining and disrespect the basic health and security measures in the working place.
Freedom of organization is part of the essential rights supporting the democratic system; if the Justice and Labour Ministry are not capable of guaranteeing these rights, democracy is in danger
Last week there was a rally and demonstration organized by the Union Federación Gráfica Bonaerense and the Workers Internal Comittee of Artes Gráficas Rioplatense outside the plant in support of these 6 delegates.
The Head of Department of UNI Graphical & Packaging Steve Walsh and the Regional Director for UNI America’s Graphical & Packaging, Marvin Largaespada attended the demonstration and extended solidarity greetings to the members and condemned the Company for ignoring the court orders and called for these delegates to be reinstated to their former jobs.
Further details contact to: marvin.largaespada@uniglobalunion.org