Definitive Report - Report No 78, 1965

Case No 402 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Complaint date: 20-MAY-64 - Closed

1. 87. The complaint of the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions is contained in a communication dated 20 May 1964 addressed directly to the I.L.O. This complaint was communicated to the Government for its observations by a letter dated 26 May 1964 and a reply was received dated 27 July 1964.
2. 88. The Congo (Leopoldville) has ratified neither the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), nor the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).

A. A. The complainants' allegations

1. 89. The complainants assert that the male nurses of the medical service of Port Francqui, having been without pay for seven months and in view of the inefficiency of the authorities, called a strike on 15 April 1964. They state that this strike was undertaken on the initiative of the persons concerned and without any instructions from the Congolese Workers' Union. In spite of this fact, according to the complainant organisation, the district police superintendent of Port Francqui proceeded to arrest Mr. Floribert Bope, the Federal Secretary of the Congolese Workers' Union.
2. 90. A press release from the Union dated 16 May 1964 which has been sent to the I.L.O indicates that Mr. Floribert Bope, " who had been arrested by the local authorities of Port Francqui on 15 April 1964 was set free on 26 April by order of the Provincial President and the Provincial Minister of the Interior passing through Port Francqui ".
3. 91. The Government also confirmed, in a telegram dated 27 July 1964, that Mr. Bope had been set free shortly after his arrest.

The Committee's recommendations

1. 92. In these circumstances the Committee recommends the Governing Body to take note of the liberation of Mr. Floribert Bope and to decide that no useful purpose would be served by pursuing further its examination of the case.