We, representatives of a broad trade union community, gathered in Moscow on May 26,27, 2001 for International Forum on Freedom Association, are expressing our deep concern with repeated cases of violating fundamental workers’ and trade unions’ rights and liberties in the CIS countries, expressed in:

• more frequent cases of persecutions and dismissals of workers for their trade union activities,
• preventing workers from forming trade union organizations,
• more complicated procedures of registration for trade unions,
• unwillingness of employers and state representatives to enter into collective bargaining and an all-round social dialogue,
• hampering collection of trade union membership dues or non transferring collected fees to relevant trade union bodies,
• holding back the right to exercise international solidarity of workers,
• interference of governmental agencies into trade union affairs including the process of electing trade union leaders,
• attempts to impose legal limits upon trade union authority in the social and labor relations, and to restrict the right to organize and bargain collectively,
• biased judicial decisions in respect of workers defending their legitimate rights,
• other cases of violations of international standards.
  (ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and obligations arising of the very fact of membership in the International Labor Organization)

Trade union rights are an integral part of human rights. The rights are safeguarded by international labor standards and their implementation contributes to maintaining social peace. Therefore, we resolutely demand that the Governmental bodies and employers shall:

• take measures aimed at providing real respect of workers’ right to organize and to bargain collectively,
• to put an end to persecutions of trade union leaders and to reinstate those dismissed on the grounds of their trade union activity,
• to create necessary conditions for free functioning of trade union organizations,
• to contribute to establishing a system of labor relations centered around a social dialogue based upon real equality of parties,
• to further acting legislation with due respect to the principles of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining declared by the International Labor Organization.

We find intolerable all violations of the Freedom of Association principles in any form and in any place of the world. We realize that only by our concerted actions we will secure respect of fundamental workers’ rights, to improve basic living standards, and to promote social progress. In order to defend the rights and principles, we will use all resources of public and economic pressure at our disposal, including ILO instruments and the trade benefits provided by the General System of Preferences of the European Union and other systems of preferences, as well as Provisions of the Guidelines of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) for multinational corporations. To this end, we will undertake further steps aimed at consolidating Trade union movement at the national, regional, and international level.

Participants of the Forum will do their utmost for more efficient informing workers of the CIS countries on their rights, and employers and Governments on the obligations pursuant to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights in the sphere of labor.

We declare our determination to jointly defend our rights using all possible means and providing solidarity support to all unions who suffer from interference into their activities!

HUMAN RIGHTS IN LABOR ARE OUR RIGHTS!

Moscow, Academy of Labor and Social Relations
May 27, 2001