Definitive Report - Report No 181, June 1978

1. 18. By a telegram dated 27 December 1977, the World Confederation of Labour presented a complaint of infringement of trade union rights in Paraguay. The contents of this communication were transmitted to the Government, and at the request of the WCL the Director-General personally sent a telegram to the Government, which forwarded its observations on 14 March 1978.
2. 19. Paraguay has ratified both the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).

A. A. The complainants' allegations

1. 20. The WCL's communication stated that the police had arrested 21 trade union officials in Paraguay. These included Rodolfo Romero, Emilio Valenti, Victoriano Centurión, Florencio Rivero and Fulgencio Barreiro. According to other information communicated by the WCL, the officials arrested on 19 December 1977 were the leaders of the National Central of Workers in Urban Sectors (CNTU). The two first named occupied respectively the posts of Director of the WCL's Regional Training institute and official in charge of training for peasants.
2. 21. In its communication the Government states that the persons named in the complaint were deprived of their liberty for breaches of Act No. 209/70, respecting the defence of democracy and the public peace. They were prosecuted, and in February 1978 they were all set at liberty after final judgements had been pronounced.

B. B. The Committee's conclusions

1. 22. The Committee notes with interest that the trade unionists mentioned in the WCL's complaint have been released in pursuance of court decisions. The Committee must, however, express its regret that the Government has supplied no information as to the precise grounds on which the persons in question were originally arrested.