Workers uniting condemns military coup in Honduras

2 July 2009

Union urges suspension of all military aid

Workers Uniting, the international union, has condemned the military coup that has resulted in the illegal ousting of democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya. Workers Uniting has issued the attached statement condemning this coup d'etat.

Workers Uniting is comprised of the North American based United Steelworkers (USW) and UK-based Unite the union (Unite) and representing 3.5 million workers, stands in solidarity with our fellow unions in Honduras, including the Unitary Central of Honduran Workers (CUTH), the Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH) and the General Workers Central (CGT), as well as with the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), in condemning the military coup.

"This coup represents a huge step backward for this Hemisphere and simply cannot be tolerated" said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. "We call upon the U.S. government to take all peaceful steps, including the withdrawal of all assistance to the military which carried out this coup, to ensure the safe return of President Zelaya to Honduras and to his rightful place as President."

Ken Neumann, the USW Canadian National Director said, "We are shocked by the violent and unlawful seizure of power by the military in Honduras and unite with those around the world calling for the peaceful return of constitutional democracy and civilian rule to that country. This can only be accomplished by the return of President Zelaya without conditions."

"We condemn the violent retribution, including tear gassing and arrests, carried out by the Honduran military against the thousands of people from civil society organizations, including trade unions, who assembled to demand that democratic order be restored and the president returned" stated Unite joint general secretary Derek Simpson.

Workers Uniting calls upon the United Nations, Organization of American States and the U.S., Canada, UK and Ireland to take all measures within their diplomatic powers to ensure that all Honduran civilians, and particularly trade unionists and social activists denouncing the coup, are safe and secure and will not be victimized by violence and repression.

"This is a critical moment in the history of Latin America," said Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite. "We cannot return to a time when military coups were common-place events in the region.

"The only way to ensure that we will not return to this time is for people of good will around the world to stand with the working people of Honduras in calling for a return of President Zelaya to power, and for the Honduran military to respect the human rights of those protesting against the illegal coup," Woodley added.

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