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5 February, 2007
Mr. Mahmoud Abbas
President
President’s Office
The Palestinian Authority
Brussels, 5 February 2007
Dear President,
PGFTU Headquarters bombed
On behalf of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Unions, the Global Union Federation representing 20 million workers in the Mine, Energy, Chemical and related Process Industries I condemn in the strongest possible terms the bombing of the headquarters of the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), only three days after the rocket attack on the home of Deputy Secretary General of the Rasem Al Bayari.
The ICEM has been informed by the PGFTU and ITUC that the PGFTU headquarters were attacked on February 2, 2007. The main entrance of the building was bombed and the radio station in the building (the Voice of Workers) was burnt down. Fortunately nobody was in the building when the attack took place.
This is not the first time that the headquarters and the union’s means of communication have been targeted. A similar incident took place on 12 October.
The ICEM finds it totally unacceptable that peaceful trade unionists, working hard to promote the rights of workers, must work and live in fear of their lives and that of their family members. The Palestinian Authority has a duty to ensure the personal safety of all trade unionists in accordance with internationally recognised rights, namely the right to life and freedom of association.
The ICEM urges you to immediately take all necessary measures to ensure the full safety of all PGFTU trade union officials, activists, members and their families. We also urge you to ensure respect for the premises and all other property of the PGFTU. We urge you to immediately order a thorough investigation into this attack and the recent attacks against the home of Mr. Al Bayari and to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice. The PGFTU and Mr. Al Bayari should be given proper compensation for the damages caused.
I thank you for your prompt attention to this very serious matter.
Yours sincerely,
Manfred Warda
General Secretary
Cc.: Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Ismail Haniya