During its March 23 meeting, the International Labor Organization’s Governing Body unanimously decided to create a high-level tripartite mission to examine the complaints of attacks against the Venezuelan employers’ federation FEDECAMARAS, its leaders and the private sector in general. Since 2003, the ILO has been examining a case, presented by USCIB affiliate the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and FEDECAMARAS, concerning the continuing violations of the Venezuelan business community’s fundamental rights. The mission will take place this summer and will report its findings to the ILO Governing Body at its November 2011 session.
The tripartite mission will include personalities from the business community, trade unions and the ILO. Topics that will be reviewed include bullying and harassment of FEDECAMARAS and its leaders, the creation and promotion of similar employers’ organizations by the government, and permanent attacks on the independent media to prevent employers’ exercising freedom of expression.
The IOE’s secretary general, Antonio Peñalosa commented: “This will be the first such ILO mission to Venezuela and will serve to examine in situ and in detail all the IOE complaints against the government of Venezuela in recent years.” Mr. Peñalosa added that the IOE is pleased that the government had accepted the mission and opened the door to dialogue to resolve the multiple business complaints that accumulated at the ILO, to which the Venezuelan authorities had until now refused to respond.
Click here to read more on IOE’s website.
Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein
