Workers Laid Off at the Daily La República in Uruguay

Union Network International, 26 November 2003

On November 20th this year, management at the daily La República of Uruguay fired five members of the Internal Union Commission of this company and another two colleagues who had spoken at a Union Assembly held the day before—a clear action of anti-union persecution. The names of the workers laid off are: Federico Gyurkovits, Miguel Flores, María José Frías, Catterine Magallanes, Georgina Mayo, Víctor Abelando and Sandro Pereyra.

A resolution was reached—in an Assembly held with graphical workers and journalists at the doors of the newspaper at 8:00 PM that same day—to carry out a 24 hour strike and to participate in a press conference called by the PIT-CNT (local Union Central) at 11:00 AM on November 21st as well as in the meeting at the Ministry of Labor at 2:30 in the afternoon.

On November 22nd, in the early hours of the morning and after long hours of deliberation, the workers at the daily newspaper La República proceeded to occupy the installations of the company, taking control of it. This took place after the company refused every request to negotiate the reinstatement of the 8 laid-off colleagues, six of which were members of the Internal Union Commission.

Our affiliate in Uruguay rejects this clear anti-union action. It calls on men and women graphical workers throughout the world to express their solidarity and support for this just struggle of the worker movement demanding that La República newspaper reinstate the men and women co-workers as well as respect their union organization.

We urge you to send the following model letter:

Draft Letter

Mr. Federico Fasano Mertens
Director
Diario La República
Montevideo, Uruguay

Mr. Director:

In the name of... (organization, country, amount of affiliates) we hereby denounce and manifest our profound rejection of the dismissal of members of the Internal Union Commission (Comisión Gremial Interna) and other colleagues: Federico Gyurkovits, Miguel Flores, María José Frías, Catterine Magallanes, Georgina Mayo, Víctor Abelando and Sandro Pereyra.

This act denotes an open and clear measure that infringes the union freedoms of our colleagues. It constitutes ruthless ant-union persecution in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international labor standards.

We demand the immediate reinstatement of the colleagues listed above to their respective jobs. We shall be closely monitoring the events and shall raise our voice at the world level regarding the lack of respect for union freedoms in Uruguay.

Sincerely,

Names and Signatures of Signatories

Data for Mailings:

Mr. Federico Fasano Mertens: larepent@chasque.net and federico@fasano.com.uy
Diario La República: Garibaldi 2579,
Montevideo, Uruguay
C. Postal 11600
Fax: 00 598 2 4872419, e-mail: larepent@chasque.net

Cc: Juan Carlos Venturini, General Secretary, SAG, Uruguay: joacov@hotmail.com
Marvin Largaespada, Regional Director: marvin.largaespada@union-network.org