Amnesty International threatens workers’ rights
21 February 2011
Human rights organisation Amnesty International has told workers
based outside the UK they will no longer have the right to remain
members of the UK-based Unite union.
As part of the same move, union members at the International
Secretariat in London have been given three months to agree these
new terms or face derecognition.
The announcement was made by the senior management at the
Amnesty’s International Secretariat, the body that leads the global
work of the organisation. In practice, this means that many of its
staff based outside of London will have less protection when it
comes to their labour rights.
The move would affect Amnesty staff in Beirut, Dakar, Paris,
Moscow, Geneva, Hong Kong, Kampala, and New York.
In response, Amnesty workers said they were stunned by the
attack, which came without warning.
‘Now every time I write or work on discrimination issues, I will
think about how Amnesty workers outside London are being treated by
the senior management in London,’ said one.
The current agreement between management and the union has
protected workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective
bargaining on terms and conditions of work.
Unite, which has represented Amnesty workers since 1973, has
expressed their willingness to engage in discussions. However, they
warned they cannot enter discussions while Amnesty’s management is
holding a gun to the heads of its staff members by threatening them
with derecognition of their union.
Such a threat precludes full and open negotiations between
management and staff on the content of a new agreement. As one
worker put it: ‘Even British Airways hasn’t done that!’.
Union members responded with disbelief on Wednesday when they
were told by senior management that their right to freedom of
association was going to be withdrawn.
At a union meeting the following day, outraged members called on
management to respect workers’ right to choose their own trade
union representation, free from coercion.
They urged management to withdraw this unprecedented attack on
rights enshrined in international human rights law, and start good
faith negotiations.
Unite Regional Officer, Alan Scott said: ‘The irony of a human
rights organisation denying its own employees trade union
recognition won’t be lost on governments hostile to the work of
Amnesty.’
Amnesty’s staff said this is an unnecessary distraction for
workers at a time when reporting and campaigning on human rights
crises around the world, particularly in the current upheavals in
the Middle East and North Africa but also in “forgotten countries”
is more vital than ever.
Unite members stressed that they want this resolved quickly.
‘All we want is for Amnesty International to live up to its own
principles and to work for an organisation of which we can be
proud.’
Late on Thursday, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil
Shetty told staff that he would get a “second opinion” on
representation for staff outside London. He stressed that senior
management are “fully behind the right of all staff to collective
bargaining and union membership”.
Unite members are waiting to hear if this means the threat of
derecognition will be lifted so that talks can begin.
-ends-
Note to Editors
For a copy of the resolution sent to Amnesty International’s
management by staff, or for further information, please contact:
Alan Scott on 07980 721 411 and/or Unite communications officer,
Shaun Noble on 07768 693 940
