Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

The Committee notes the comments of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), dated 26 August 2009, reporting the persistence of anti-union acts against the leaders and members of the Union of Trade Unions of Chad (UST), and the difficulties of social dialogue in the petroleum sector. The Committee recalls that in its previous observation it already noted comments by the ITUC denouncing the fact that the Government refuses to recognize, in the context of social dialogue, the status of the UST as the most representative organization, that some trade union leaders were dismissed, transferred or prosecuted for anti-union reasons and that the Government refused to negotiate with the inter-trade union association which includes the UST. As the Government confined itself to indicating that the ITUC’s allegations did not reflect the real situation, the Committee requested it to ensure that neither the UST nor its leaders or members were discriminated against on account of their trade union activities and that, in the relations between the authorities and the UST, the status of the UST as the most representative trade union organization was given due consideration. The Committee requests the Government to provide its observations in reply to the 2009 comments of the ITUC. In the meantime, the Committee urges the Government to guarantee, as required by the Convention, adequate protection against all acts which could jeopardize the exercise of freedom of association by trade union leaders and members, and particularly those of the UST, and to ensure that this trade union organization, the representative nature of which has not been contested by the Government, is not subject to any discrimination.