Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Cuba (Ratification: 1952)

Trade union rights and civil liberties. The Committee recalls that, in its previous comments, it had expressed regret that the Government had not provided copies of the court rulings connected with specific cases of convictions of workers belonging to the Independent National Workers Confederation of Cuba (CONIC), persecution and threats of imprisonment against delegates of the Light Industry Workers’ Union (SITIL) and the confiscation of equipment and humanitarian aid sent from abroad to the Single Council of Cuban Workers (CUTC). The Committee notes the Government’s repeated indication that the trade unionists were convicted for committing offences duly defined in law and that it cannot be claimed that there has been a violation of the Convention, and that, in its latest report, the Government claims that the ILO supervisory bodies are being manipulated and that the Committee should not request information relating to Case No. 2258, which was examined by the Committee on Freedom of Association. The Committee deeply regrets that the Government has again failed to comply with the Committee’s request to provide copies of the requested court rulings, recalling that, in this respect, it also failed to give effect to the recommendations of the Committee on Freedom of Association (see Report No. 343, relating to Case No. 2258), and that the Committee on Freedom of Association recently indicated once again that it regretted the Government’s refusal to provide the rulings issuing sentences in relation to other allegations of persecution of trade unionists (see Case No. 3271, Report No. 389). The Committee once again requests the Government to provide copies of the rulings in question.