e CTF organizing director Juan Rivera presented Brother Haggard with a momento from Chilean
woodworkers. At back of photo under the I.W.A. flag is CTF education director Sergio Gonzalez.

I.W.A. delegation

continued from page seventeen

giant’s use of Mexican migrant
labourers to do silviculture work.

“Chilean forest companies, of
course, don’t have to go to Mexico,
they get their own domestic cheap
labour on demand,” says Tones.
“For us to compete with that in
future years, we must be aware of
these issues.”

The delegation traveled on to the
city of Valdivia and met with CTF
members Gustavo Carrasco and
Dario Contreras, union leaders
from the “Sindicato de Traba-
jadores Eventuales y Transitorios
Esperanza Obrera,” a union
representing seasonal and transient
forest workers.

Numerous discussions following
the plight of seasonal forest workers
in the silviculture industry, logging
and sawmilling sectors were had.

In Valdivia the delegation also
met with a local governor, Ms. Marta
Meza Lavin. They spoke with her
about the purpose of the I.W.A.’s
visit, and learned more about
limited labour reforms proposed by
the government — reforms which
are opposed by powerful business
sectors.

Ms. Meza Lavin spoke about the
problems that workers in her
province face and Brother Haggard
said the delegation was receiving a
greater appreciation of the different
conditions that Chilean and
Canadian workers face.

BACK TO CONCEPCION

After driving back to the CTF
headquarters and Education Centre,
the delegation met with forest
workers and held an informal session
on collective bargaining in Canada.
It was conducted by Brother Tones,
with others joining in.

“We were going to talk about how
we structure collective bargaining
in Canada,” said Tones. “But the
workers didn’t want to only focus
on collective bargaining and the
law. They were more interested in
finding about what we had in our
collective agreements.”

Tones said they were also
interested in issues like health care,
pensions and other social benefits.

“There was a great desire to get
knowledge on organizing, on some
of our (labour) laws and on collective
bargaining gains,” said Pisak, about
the 2-1/2 hour session. “It’s great to
have seen the desire and the need
that people have to want to be part

of it.”

“Just-seeing the passion these
people have — you don’t see that
up here (in Canada),” he added.
“We saw how really committed they
are to the struggles that they have
with the rules (laws) that they have
to live under.”

The tour met with Ms. Maria Luz
Gajardo, of the “Seremi del Trabajo”
in the VIII Region in Concepcion.
There was discussion about labour
law reform, about forest workers
and other workers Ms. Luz Gajardo
represents in the Region.

OFF TO SANTIAGO DE CHILE

From Concepcion it was a 500
kilometre drive north to the capital
city of Santiago. There they met
with members of the Central
Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT),
the Unified Workers Central.

The delegation met with national
CUT president Arturo Martinez
and second vice president Diego
Olivares, who is also responsible for
international relations.

They spoke about the CUT’s
demands for meaningful labour law
reform and, in general, about the
CTF-Education project in southern
Chile.

“We had a good meeting with
them and extended our offer of
future assistance to the CUT,” said
Brother Haggard.

A month earlier (March, 2001)
the I.W.A. hosted a visit to Canada
from the CUT secretary general

Jose Ortiz and Chilean labour
lawyer Pedro Aravena, to review
labour laws in Canada.

“The CUT has developed, over
time, a series of demands that it
has sought from the Chilean
government,” said Haggard. “The
Chilean government has promised
some elements of labour law reform
but it remains to be seen whether
they will eventually see the light of
day. We hope they do.”

“Workers in all countries have a
universal right to freedom of
association and freedom of collective
bargaining. Even though the
Chilean government has ratified
international conventions of the
International Labour Organization
which should respect these rights,
they really do not exist in law,” said
Haggard.

“What the CUT and others pointed
out to us is that although Chile is
thought of in the popular media to
be a ‘modern economic miracle,’ the
reality for most working people,
including those in the forest sector,
is that they have not shared in the
country’s prosperity over recent
years.”

MEETING CANADA’S AMBASSADOR

The delegation paid a courtesy
visit to Canada’s ambassador to
Chile, Mr. Patrick Parisot, where
they discussed the upcoming Free
Trade Area of the Americas trade
talks in Quebec City.

E
z
z
é
z=
E

Ambassador Parisot said he
try to diplomatically discuss wit
Chilean government officials, the
issue of adopting ILO conventions
in actual labour law.

Upon becoming aware of the CTF
- 1.W.A. Education Centre in
Concepcion, the ambassador
mentioned that he would perhaps
visit it some day. Part of the fund-
ing for education classes come from
the Canadian International
Development Agency, a branch of
the federal government. The
ambassador indicated to the
delegation other areas within the
Canadian federal government where
further funding may be possible.

A reception was held at the
headquarters of the National
Confederation of Construction
Workers and during a lunch
period, the I.W.A. met with textile
workers at a cafeteria set up by
the CODEMU, the national
confederation for workers in
the sector.

In Santiago a meeting was held
with Ms. Maria Ester Feres
Nazarala, from the Directora
Nacional de Trabajo. They spoke
about labour education and training,
fiscal issues for her organization
and the general situation Chilean
workers live and work in. Ms. Feres
Nazarela received an overview of
the education project in Concepcion.

The I.W.A. also had the privilege
to meet with Mr. Jaimie Campos
Quiroga, the Minister of Agriculture,
who oversees the forest sector.

The minister talked about the
economic value of the industry, the
government’s concerns over
environmental issues and the
quality of workers’ lives and the
well-being of forest-dependent
communities.

The union also met with Ministry
of Social Security subsecretary
official Maria Adriana Hornkohl
Venegas, to discuss social security
and education for workers and the
role of the state in assisting distinct
areas of union activity.

Last year the CTF applied for
funding from the ministry’s
education fund but has yet to receive
a favourable response.

“One thing that we heard from
most of the government-type
officials was that they seemed to
stress the importance of economic
development but they didn’t really
address issues of workers rights to
any great extent,” said Haggard.

The delegation concluded its trip
with a weekend visit to the port
city of Valparaiso and the resort
town of Vifia del Mar, a major
attraction for Chilean and
international visitors. B

a

it fees

Patrick Parisot (left).

° In the capital city of Santiago the delegation paid a courtesy visit to Canada's ambassador the Chile, Mr.

T/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 2001