February 9, 2006 - PGS in London 2003 This year's Progressive Governance Summit, to be held on 11 and 12 February in South Africa, has been marred with a row over the inclusion of Meles Zenawi as unionists publicly slammed the Progressive Governance Network (PGN).
Heads of state and government from 18 Latin American, Asian, African and European countries are expected to discuss various issues ranging from development to elections, organisers said. However, the country's largest trade unions, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), National Council for Trade Unions (NCTU), SA Municipal Workers Union and Federation of Unions of South Africa vocally criticized organisers for inviting the beleaguered Ethiopian tyrant, according to Business Report.
"One of the ways to judge whether a government is progressive or not is to assess the way workers and trade unions are treated," said Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven. "On that basis, South Africa certainly qualify, and Ethiopia most definitely does not. Our colleagues in Ethiopia are being harassed and the government is ignoring international conventions," Mahlomola Skhosana, General Secretary of NCTU told the paper.
For most trade union observers, the primary issue at this stage remains why the government of Ethiopia should have been invited, above others in Africa, to join this new "progressive" group, the paper reported. Federation of Unions of SA acting general secretary Dennis George said: "We should not associate in this way with countries like Ethiopia until and unless they respect trade union rights and international conventions."
Business Reporter noted that the killings of trade union and student demonstrators was merely the latest in a catalogue of charges levelled against Ethiopia's "controversial Prime Minister" and his government which, according to the paper, "have been criticised almost constantly by the international trade union movement for the abuse of human and labour rights."
The Ethiopian Community in South Africa, CUDP and UEDF support groups have also voiced their concern over the decision of PGN to roll out the red carpet to the despot. "We express our solidarity with the movement and salute all the dignitaries except for Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia," they said in a joint press release.
Having urged the leaders of the movement to expel Meles from the network, the communique demanded PGN to support EU's call for the establishment of an independent international inquiry to probe into atrocities and to impose targeted sanctions against members of the Ethiopian government. Community sources have indicated that Ethiopians will seek permission to stage a noisy protest march at the venue
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Tony Blair, who have all decided to withdraw direct budgetary support to the Ethiopian government, are expected to attend the summit. According to observers, the summit will create another chance for civilized heads of governments and states to raise their grave concerns over the gross human rights violations in Ethiopia.
The Progressive Governance Network was set up in 1999 by a handful of leaders who believed to share a progressive agenda for their countries and the world. Current members of the network include: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Chile, Ethiopia, Hungary, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
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