Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (Ratification: 1982)

The Committee notes the comments on the application of the Convention made by the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and the Federation of Chambers and Associations of Commerce and Production of Venezuela (FEDECAMARAS) in a communication dated 28 August 2013. The Committee notes that the Government has accepted a high-level tripartite mission, which will visit the country from 27 to 31 January 2014, and which has the mandate to examine the matters raised in the case presented by the IOE and FEDECAMARAS to the Committee on Freedom of Association (Case No. 2254), which mostly coincide with the matters raised by the Committee of Experts in its 2012 observation and in the communication of 28 August 2013 of these employers’ organizations.

The Committee will examine at its next session the matters raised in the 2012 observation and those set out in the 2013 communication of the IOE and FEDECAMARAS, in light of the report of the upcoming high-level tripartite mission. The Committee hopes that the technical assistance provided by the mission will make it possible to find a satisfactory solution to all the problems raised which affect employers.

The Committee recalls that the pending problems raised in its 2012 observation are both in relation to the rights of employers’ organizations and their leaders (acts of violence and harassment against employers’ leaders, serious deficiencies of social dialogue, including the absence of consultation on labour and social legislation, the promotion of parallel organizations, etc.), and in relation to the rights of workers’ organizations (acts of violence and harassment against trade union leaders, lack of consultation, interference by the authorities in trade union elections and legal restrictions on trade union rights, etc.).

Finally, the Committee notes the comments of the National Coordination, National Union of Workers (UNETE), dated 31 August 2013 on the application of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to provide its observations in this respect.