PHA-Exchange> Salvadoran Health Workers Arrested

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Sarah Shannon sarahs at hesperian.org

This note came from the Center for International Solidarity in El Salvador:

Leaders of the Union of Hospital Workers of El Salvador - SIGEESAL - have
been arrested after carrying out protest acts against
privatization of health care, corruption and lack of medicines. They need
your support for civil rights in El Salvador and for the
important work of SIGEESAL against privatization of health care.

****

FREE SIGEESAL TRADE UNIONISTS!
DEFEND THE RIGHTS TO UNIONIZE, PROTEST, AND HEALTH CARE
STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY IN EL SALVADOR.

On Tuesday, September 4th, 2007, in the cities of Ahuchapan and Santa Ana, 8
trade union members from the board of directors of SIGEESAL (Association of
Workers in Health Care of El Salvador), were arrested and charged with
disorderly conduct, a charge which carried up to 10 years in prison, as a
result of a protest carried out on July 6th. Between 6 and 7 a.m. on
September 4th special groups of the Civilian National Police carried out an
operation where the trade unionists were captured in their homes and their
work places - national hospitals and public health clinics.

The events and persecution of union leaders occurred after the authorities
of the Ministry of Public Health denounced the Board of Directors of
SIGEESAL section in the municipality Chalchuapa, in the department of Santa
Ana to the Attorney Generals office for a protest carried on July 6th,
2007.  The July 6th protest was carried out in solidarity with the members
of SIGEESAL in the department of San Vicente who carried out a work stoppage
in the Santa Gerturdis National Hospital and the offices of the Basic System
of Integral Health (SIBASI), a public clinic in the outskirts of San
Vicente. The labor stoppage diminished the administrative activities, while
consultation services and emergency services continued being carried out.
This activity began on Monday, July 2nd, 2007, to denounce the lack of
medicines and the plans for concessions and decentralization (privatization)
of public health care services.  Furthermore, unionists denounced acts of
corruption tolerated by the regional health care director, Manuel Abarca.
Members of SIGEESAL in Santa Ana, the Western Region and three department of
Hospital Rosales in San Salvador carried out coordinated protests on July
6th in solidarity with hospitals in San Vicente.

On July 10 and 11 agreements were signed with the general director of
hospitals, Dr. Alcides Urbina, which included a commitment to initiate
conversations in the San Vicente and Western Regions and initiate
investigations into cases of corruption by the directors and advisors of the
San Vicente Hospital, complying and respecting the freedom to unionize and
that there were be no reprisals against the unionists who participated in
the protests. Unionists agreed to clean up spray paint that was done in the
context of the protest and abided by the agreement.

The trade union members who were arrested include:  Ana Luz Ordoñez Castro,
Mirian Ruth Castro Lemus, Elsa Yanira Paniagua, Noemi Barrientos de Perez,
Ana Graciela de Carranza, Jorge Emilio Perez, Manuel Trejo Artero y Anemias
Armando Cantadeiro.  They have been falsely accused by the Attorney General
for "Aggravated damages and public disorder".  These accusation, linked, the
same as the case of the political prisoners from Suchitoto, to the "Special
Law Against Organized Crime and Complex Crimes", which use "special" non
independent Judges and Tribunals and to the recent reforms (August 2007) to
the Penal Code and the Penal Process Code in article 348, which are used as
repressive instruments in order to criminalize social and popular protest.
Because using the Anti-terrorist law against social protest drew an
international response, social activists are now no longer being charged
with terrorism, but with disorderly conduct.  However, the penal code was
modified so that the punishment for disorderly conduct is no longer a
misdemeanor, but a criminal offense carrying up to 10 years and must be
served in jail.  This is a clear violation of the right to organize,
protest, and free speech.

SIGEESAL has recently overcame an attack against their right to associate
and organize.  The Government only granted the association legal status on
June 22, 2007, after a series of activities to demand their right to
organize and associate. After a long struggle against the privatization of
health care, SIGEESAL continues being attacked and persecuted by the
Salvadoran government.

On Friday, September 7th, 2007 the International Labor Organization
Conventions 87 and 98 became Salvadoran Law.  These Conventions guarantee
the Freedom of Association and Protect the right to Organize (C87) and the
Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining (C98).  Given the arrest of 8
leaders and board members of SIGEESAL and the ORDER to arrest the rest of
SIGEESALs leadership, it is clear these rights guaranteed by the ILO
Conventions, the Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador are being
violated.[1]

President Elias Antonio Saca presides over the government to protect
interests of a tiny powerful sector of the country.  For example, the
Ministry of Labor, responsible for protecting worker's rights and insuring
respect for the Salvadoran Labor Code and ILO treaties, mainly protects the
profit interests of a tiny minority.  The Minister of Health, Dr. Guillermo
Maza, has reiterated his anti-union stance and has pushed forward the
privatization of health care, responding to interests of a few instead of
the Constitution which guarantees the right to public health care.

ACCOMPANY SALVADORANS IN THEIR RIGHT TO ORGANIZE, IN DEFENSE OF PUBLIC
HEALTH CARE AND DEMOCRACY
FREE SALVADORAN POLITICAL PRISONERS

   * Demand the IMMEDIATE FREEDOM of 8 union leaders struggling against
privatization of health care. Because they have been arrested for their
views and carrying out a protest are considered political prisoners:  Ana
Luz Ordoñez Castro, Mirian Ruth Castro Lemus, Elsa Yanira Paniagua, Noemi
Barrientos de Perez, Ana Graciela de Carranza, Jorge Emilio Perez, Manuel
Trejo Artero y Anemias Armando Cantadeiro

   * Demand the compliance with Conventions 87 and 98 of the ILO. These
Conventions guarantee the Freedom of Association and Protect the Right to
Organize (C87) and the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining (C98).

   * Demand the right to public Health Care for all Salvadorans (Arts. 65 &
66 of the Constitution) and reject the plans to privatize El Salvador's
health care system, leaving the country's poor majority more vulnerable.

   * Denounce the unconstitutionality and call for the REPEAL OF REFORM TO
ARTICLE 348 of the Penal Code which modifies the punishment for "public
disorder" from a misdemeanor to a crime with up to 10 years in jail and a
punishment that must be served in jail. Article 3 of the Constitution
guarantees equality before the law.  Art. 7 guarantees the right to
association.  These penal reforms are being applied against persons critical
of government policy.

   * Denounce the unconstitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Law
against Organized Crime and Crimes of Complex Execution, and that this law
be repealed so that Salvadorans may have a State which offers access to
justice, freedom of expression and respect for Freedom of Association. This
law violate equal access to the law and independent judicial system and
instead use special judges and tribunals appointed by the president of the
republic.

Contact the Authorities:
Presidente Elías Antonio Saca
Tel.  (++011-503)2248-9000
FAX:  (++011-503)2243-7857; 2243-9930

Charles L. Glazer, U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador
Tel.  (011-503)2501-2999
Fax:  2501-2154

Oscar Humberto Luna, Ombudsman for the Defense of Human Rights
Tel. ++ 503-2222-0011
Fax: ++503 - 2222-0655

Lic. Felix Garrid Safie, Attorney General of the Republic of El Salvador
Telephone: ++503-2231-8300
Fax:  503-2243-9930; 2243-7857

Send copies of all correspondence to CIS: Fax: ++011-503-2235-1330 or
cis_elsalvador at yahoo.com


We thank the Center for Labor Studies in El Salvador (CEAL El Salvador), the
Salvadoran Union Front and SIGEESAL for the information for this document
and their work for human rights and labor rights.
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