Interim Report - REPORT_NO45, 1960

1. 124. The International Federation of Christian Trade Unions addressed to the Director-General on 18 December 1959 a telegram and a letter of confirmation containing allegations of infringements of the exercise of trade union rights in Guinea.

A. A. The complainants' allegations

1. 125. According to these communications, Mr. Firmin Combassa, Secretary of the African Confederation of Christian Workers, was arrested on 15 December 1959 on the orders of the District Chief of Kankan (Guinea) for having pursued trade union activities contrary to the policy followed by the General Union of Workers of Black Africa, of which Mr. Sókou Touré, President of the Republic, is also President. By a telegram dated 31 December 1959, the complaining organisation furnished further information, according to which another trade unionist, whose name also is Sékou Touré and who is stated to be the leader of the Public Employees' Union of C.A.T.C, was arrested on 22 December 1959.
2. 126. All these communications were transmitted to the Government of Guinea for its observations by two letters dated respectively 23 December 1959 and 5 January 1960. In these letters, the Director-General drew the attention of the Government to the fact that, as matters involving personal freedom were raised in the allegations, the case in question fell within the category of cases which the Governing Body has decided shall be treated as urgent cases and he requested the Government to furnish a speedy reply. So far no reply has been received by the Office.
3. 127. By a communication dated 11 January 1960, the complaining organisation informed the Director-General that the two persons mentioned in the complaint had been liberated by the Government of Guinea.

B. B. The Committee's conclusions

1. 128. In these circumstances, the Committee considers that there is no ground for continuing to regard the case as one of those to which priority should be given because of its urgency, but that the Government should again be asked to furnish its observations on the complaint.
2. 129. The observations made in the present case raise the question of the application of a principle to which the Committee and the Governing Body have always attached the greatest importance, that is, the principle that when charges are made against trade unionists they, like all other persons, should receive a prompt and fair trial by an independent impartial judiciary according to a procedure attended by all the guarantees of due process, and, before pronouncing on the substance of the case, the Committee considers that it would be desirable for it to have before it the observations of the Government, in the light of the principle referred to above, on the complaint of the I.F.C.T.U.