GARMENT
ONAL TEXTILE
LEATHER
X
NORKERS
FEDERATION
International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers' Federation
Fédération Internationale des Travailleurs du Textile, de l'Habillement et du Cuir Internationale Textil-, Bekleidungs-und Lederarbeiter-Vereinigung Federación Internacional de Trabajadores del Textil, Vestuario y Cuero
Ref. A118-42.UK
Rue Joseph Stevens, 8 - 1000 Brussels, Belgium
14 January 1993
R23
The Right Honourable
Mr John Major
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
10 Downing Street
London SW1
UNITED KINGDOM
President: David Lambert
General Secretary: Neil Kearney
Telephone : (32)2 512 26 06 (32)2 512 28 33
Telefax: (32)2 511 09 04
Prime Minister,
I write on behalf of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation, which brings together 178 affiliated trade unions in 81 countries throughout the world, with a combined membership of some 6.5 million workers, to express surprise at recent reports that your Government is seeking a meeting between US President-Elect, Bill Clinton and Hong Kong's Governor as soon as possible after the 20 January 1993 inauguration, so that efforts can be made to persuade the US not to place conditions on its renewal of China's most favoured nation trading status.
With the report regarding this proposed approach to President-Elect Clinton was also a remark from a British official that "the US is the only country in the world that has any influence on the Chinese leadership".
You will be very aware of the Chinese government's lack of respect for basic human and worker rights, most clearly highlighted in the Tiananmen Square incidents, but continued since then by imprisonment of many democracy activists and workers attempting to establish independent and democratic trade union organisations. A great many of these detainees have joined China's 16 to 20 million prisoners engaged in forced labour. Many of the products so produced are exported to the United States and the European Community.
It would be a tragedy were the plight of all of these people to be ignored, just because of the effect that criticism and action against China might have on Hong Kong business interests.
Can it really be true that the UK Government puts the interests of Hong Kong No businessmen before the human rights of millions of Chinese citizens?
Telegram address :
Workintex,
Bruxelles
Please address all correspondance to the General Secretary.