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- 138. In communications dated 15 June and 28 July 1988, the National
- Federation of Peasant Farmers, Agriculture and Plantation Workers (NAFAPAW)
- presented a complaint of violation of trade union rights against the
- Government of Liberia. The Government sent its observations on the case in a
- communication dated 13 February 1989 and received at the ILO on 20 March 1989.
- 139. Liberia has ratified both the Freedom of Association and Protection of
- the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and
- Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).
A. The complainant's allegations
A. The complainant's allegations
- 140. In the initial communication dated 15 June 1988, which the NAFAPAW
- claims to be also filed on behalf of the National Agriculture and Allied
- Workers' Union of Liberia (NAAWUL) and the National Seamen's Ports and General
- Workers' Union of Liberia (NSP/GWUL), the complainant makes the following
- allegations:
- a) the Ministry of Labour has committed continuous, wilful and flagrant
- violations of trade union rights and democratic freedoms, which have
- disastrous effects on the operation and functioning of the Federation, and on
- the living and working conditions of the workers;
- b) for the past five years, the Ministry of Labour has maintained an "ugly
- and dangerous" policy contrary to the fundamental rights of workers, some of
- whom, in the agricultural field, have not received their pay for six, eight,
- even up to 16 months, and are forced to perform their duties without union
- protection;
- c) the Ministry of Labour has refused to recognise the NAFAPAW since 12
- December 1986, the date of its establishment, even though, according to the
- NAFAPAW, it is in principle recognised by the Government;
- d) the Ministry of Labour has refused to recognise the National Agriculture
- and Allied Workers' Union of Liberia (NAAWUL) and its officials (the "White
- group"), duly elected on 18 January 1986, during that union's second national
- convention. In this connection, the NAFAPAW also blames the Ministry for
- recognising and using other named persons (the "Stanley group") as NAAWUL's
- officials; according to the NAFAPAW, criminal charges are currently pending
- against these persons.
- 141. In its further communication of 28 July 1988, the NAFAPAW alleges that
- the Ministry of Labour is using every possible tactic to make the component
- unions of the Federation pro-government organisations, with the aim of
- destroying the Federation. By way of example, the NAFAPAW mentions that a
- "convention" conducted on 16 July 1988 by individuals styling themselves as
- members of the NAAWUL was in fact a clandestine and undemocratic procedure
- held with the backing of the Ministry and financed indirectly by the World
- Confederation of Labour.
- B. The Government's reply
- 142. In its reply of 13 February 1989, the Government denies all the
- allegations contained in the second communication of the NAFAPAW (dated 28
- July 1988). The Government states that it never used strategies to destroy the
- Federation, nor backed any union or former officers of any union to hold any
- convention. The Government further states it is only aware that the NAAWUL
- elected its leadership, and that those elected have been carrying on the
- union's functions. The Government adds it does not interfere in trade union
- activities because this is prohibited by section 4100 of the Labour Practices
- Law.
- 143. The Government further denies all the allegations contained in the
- initial communication of the NAFAPAW, adding that it is not even aware of the
- formation or existence of that Federation, since it has not filed its by-laws
- and constitution, as required by section 4100 of the Labour Practices Law. The
- Government also denies the existence of any "ugly and dangerous" policy
- contrary to the workers' fundamental rights, and maintains it is not aware of
- any agricultural workers who have not received their pay for the periods
- alleged by the complainant, or that any workers are forced to perform their
- duties without any union protection. The Government denies the existence of
- exploitation and forced labour in Liberia.
- 144. The Government denies that it has refused to recognise the NAAWUL, as
- alleged by the complainant, since indeed this organisation is recognised by
- the Government of Liberia whose records show, as members of the NAAWUL's
- executive, a list of persons different from those mentioned by the
- complainant. The Government adds that the present leadership of the union is
- in constant contact with the Ministry of Labour and that a member of the said
- union served as adviser to the Workers' delegates to the 75th Session of the
- ILO Conference. The Government submits it has not recognised Mr. David White
- and his group as leaders of NAAWUL because their names were never forwarded to
- the Ministry of Labour by NAAWUL's secretariat. Furthermore, the Government
- denies having knowledge of any NAAWUL's officials elected on 18 January 1986
- (the "Mooney-White group"), and is only aware of the election held on 14 July
- 1988; those elected (the "Stanley group") are duly recognised by the Ministry
- 145. The Government further denies having any intention to dismantle NAAWUL,
- or to use former officers of the union to the detriment of the workers.
- Finally, the Government stresses that the NAFAPAW does not have standing to
- present this complaint on behalf of NAAWUL and NSP/GWUL, because it has not
- filed its by-laws and constitution with the Ministry of Labour.
C. The Committee's conclusions
C. The Committee's conclusions
- 146. The Committee notes that the allegations in this case can be
- categorised under three headings. Firstly, the general allegation of trade
- union rights' violations (paragraph a)above); secondly, the Government's
- "ugly and dangerous" policy which allegedly deprived some agricultural workers
- of their pay for periods up to 16 months (paragraph b)above); and finally, an
- allegation that could be generally described as a problem of union recognition
- and/or inter-union rivalry (paragraph c) and d) above). The complainant's
- subsequent communication, in fact, is a variation on this latter theme.
- 147. With respect to the first point raised by the complainant, the
- Committee is bound to note that this is only an extremely general allegation,
- to which the Government gave an equally general answer, which is totally
- unsubstantiated in the two communications submitted by the complainant, and
- does not call for further examination.
- 148. Concerning the second issue raised by the complainant, i.e. that the
- "ugly and dangerous" government policy had the effect of depriving certain
- agricultural workers of their pay for periods up to 16 months, the Committee
- observes that this is flatly denied by the Government. Here, too, the
- Committee is faced with two completely contradictory statements, without any
- specifics or evidence.
- 149. The third issue concerns a situation which could be termed as rather
- confused, at best. The Committee gathers from the documentation received that
- a power struggle has emerged within the National Agricultural and Allied
- Workers' Union of Liberia (NAAWUL) between two groups, one of which (the
- "Stanley group") is recognised by the Government as having been duly elected
- on 14 July 1988 as NAAWUL's executive. The other faction (the "Mooney-White
- group") claims it is the only legitimate representative of the workers'
- members of NAAWUL; the Government denies having knowledge of their election
- and states that their names were never forwarded to the Ministry of Labour. To
- complicate matters further, the Government denies the very existence of the
- NAFAPAW (which lodged this complaint), since it has not filed its by-laws and
- constitution; the Government challenges NAFAPAW's right to file this complaint
- on behalf of NAAWUL and NSP/GWUL, for the same reason.
- 150. The Committee has stated in many cases that it is not competent to make
- recommendations on internal dissensions within a trade union organisation so
- long as the Government does not intervene in a manner which might affect the
- exercise of trade union rights and the normal functioning of an organisation.
- (See, for example, 217th Report, Case No. 1086 (Greece), para. 93.) In cases
- of internal conflict, the Committee has suggested different solutions to
- clarify these types of legal situations with a view to settling questions
- concerning the representativity of the union officials concerned (for example,
- vote of the workers or judicial procedures). In the present case the Committee
- considers that impartial procedures should be put in train to enable the
- workers freely to choose their representatives.
- 151. The Committee observes that some of the persons, groups and/or unions
- concerned in the present complaint were already involved in similar problems
- in Cases Nos. 1219 and 1410 (233rd and 259th Reports). In the latter case the
- Committee noted it was not for it to decide which group should represent the
- members of the union involved, but rather to examine whether there was
- government interference with the workers' free choice of union officers. This
- view applies here and such interference has not been established in the
- instant case. In fact, the Committee is faced with two contradictory versions,
- and is not in a position to comment conclusively on this aspect of the case.
- 152. However, the Committee strongly emphasises that those who stand to lose
- the most in such situations of inter-union rivalry are the workers, and that
- the uncertainty stemming from these power struggles should be resolved as
- quickly as possible in the best interests of all the parties concerned, in
- particular the workers.
The Committee's recommendations
The Committee's recommendations
- 153. In the light of its foregoing conclusions, the Committee invites the
- Governing Body to approve the following recommendations:
- a) The Committee considers that the general allegations raised by the
- complainant do not call for further examination.
- b) The Committee considers that impartial procedures should be put in train
- to enable the workers freely to choose their representatives.