Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body - Report No 333, March 2004

Effect given to the recommendations of the Committee and the Governing Body

1. 132. The Committee examined the substance of this case at its May-June 2002 meeting [see 328th Report, paras. 596-605]. The Committee recalls that the case concerns the arrest, detention and interrogation, without warrant, on 30 May 2001, of the chairperson and the secretary-general of the Union of Trade Unions of Chad (UST), Mr. Boukinebe Garka and Mr. Djibrine Assali Hamdallah, on the grounds that the UST had been involved with the opposition political parties to try to arrange an information meeting following the contested elections of 20 May 2001.
2. 133. In a communication dated 8 January 2004, the Government states that the secretary-general of the UST was questioned by police concerning a document signed jointly with six political parties inciting the population to civil disobedience. It claims that it considered it reasonable, in the interests of keeping the peace, to arrest the abovementioned union members in order to avoid any unfortunate developments in the situation. The Government stresses that, in accordance with legal and statutory provisions, trade unions in Chad are entitled to express their positions on economic and social policy in the country, but not to promote interests which are essentially political to the detriment of their trade union activities.
3. 134. The Committee takes note of this information. However, the Committee also notes that its recommendation, whereby it requested the Government to give appropriate instructions to the competent authorities so that no further arrests of this type take place in the future, has not been implemented by the Government. Recalling again that the detention of trade union leaders or members for reasons connected with their activities in defence of the interests of workers constitutes a serious interference with civil liberties in general and with trade union rights in particular, the Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of the specific measures taken to implement its recommendations.