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Latin American Energy Unions Step Up Action

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12 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 46/1998

Trade unions representing Latin American energy workers have joined forces to combat "neoliberal policies." They are pledged to defend union rights and workers' interests as privatisations and restructurings continue apace within Latin America's energy industries.

24 electric power, oil and gas workers' unions from 14 countries attended the Regional Energy Conference held in Rio de Janeiro on May 11-14 by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). The conference was part of a long-term ICEM project on "Energy Policies and Trade Union Strategies for Latin America and the Caribbean".

The unions adopted a three-year action programme to defend public energy entreprises through modernisation and the elaboration of alternative proposals on energy policies and industry structures. They will be training a group of negotiators to help unions to formulate proposals and to campaign in favour of them. Unions will seek alliances with social groups and non-governmental organisations to ensure broadly based support.

Strong regulatory frameworks are essential to ensure democratic control over this strategic sector, instead of leaving it to multinational energy companies, said the unions.

"As the privatisations in Latin American energy industries show, implementing neoliberal policies designed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund will only lead to massive loss of jobs, higher prices and increasing inequality," said Luiz Gonzaga, President of the Brazilian Urban Workers' Federation (FNU). Gonzaga was elected to lead the work of the electricity workers' network in the region.

The oil and gas workers' group will be coordinated by Hernan von Hausen, President of the Chilean Oil Workers' Federation (Fenatrapech).

The ICEM energy project also aims to examine processes of regional integration and the impact of reforms on health, safety and the environment, and to promote the participation of women in union activities. Latin American unions will join ICEM global networks for energy companies.

Representatives of Spanish and French unions were present in Rio to discuss major investments made in the region by companies such as Electricite de France, Endesa and Ibedrola.

The conference pledged support to energy workers facing disputes in Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia and Trinidad.

While the conference was going on in Rio, two members of the oil workers' union USO were assassinated and a local union leader wounded in an attack in Colombia. A special protest was sent to the President of Colombia, urging efficient measures to end violence and violations of trade union rights.

In a separate meeting, the energy unions' commission of Mercosur (the common market linking Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay) decided on concrete measures to deepen cooperation in this sub-region. Mercosur energy unions will campaign in support of the Uruguayan electricity workers, who are out to obtain a referendum on a new law concerning the regulatory framework ofr the Uruguayan power industry. If 25 percent of the electorate turn out for a consultative vote on June 17, the Uruguayans will have a chance to plebiscite on the draft law.

As the unions point out, the law, designed mainly by a global consultancy, would open the way for privatisation and deregulation. This is against official government policies and flouts the outcome of a referendum in 1992, in which the people rejected the privatisation of public services in Uruguay.