CUBAN WORKERS ORGANIZING INDEPENDENT FORUM

April 17, 1997

CUBAN WORKERS ORGANIZING INDEPENDENT FORUM

April, 1997, Habana Press

Alliance With Dissidents Sought

Press Release from the National Executive Committee of the Confederation of Democratic Cuban Workers and the Independent Workers' Congress of Cuba

April, 1997, Habana Press

HAVANA -

The organizers of the Independent Workers' Congress wish to make public, both domestically and internationally, the efforts currently being made to create a forum to represent the interests of the Cuban working class.

The following agreement has been reached:

We will support the activities of Internal Dissidence Work Group and contribute to the wide dissemination of their Platform, from which we cite the following main principles:

Equality for and non-discrimination towards all Cuban citizens. The people must have the right of access to all establishments which are for the acquisition of goods and services, especially those currently reserved for foreigners.
No discrimination based on political orientation.
Equality of employment opportunities and fair labor practices.
Promotion of workers' rights and labor justice.
Improvements in the quality of life of the Cuban worker in the areas of culture, human rights, environment, and freedom of information, including the right to receive information from the internal opposition / independent labor movement.

We commit ourselves to the difficult task of promoting these principles among opposition organizations and among workers, so that citizens have access to viable options for resolving the national problems which have shattered their quality of life.