From Radio New Zealand International, about the French colony New Caledonia/Kanaky:
Union leaders in New Caledonia jailed for a year for airport invasionUpdate August 2009: here.Posted at 22:31 on 29 June, 2009 UTC
A court in New Caledonia has sentenced the USTKE union leader, Gerard Jodar, to one year in prison following a strike at the capital’s domestic airport last month.
Several other union members have also received prison terms.
During a strike at the local airline Air Caledonie, the union attempted to seize the airport, leaving domestic aviation in disarray for several days.
Our correspondent in Noumea, Claudine Wery, says Jodar is now in prison in Noumea.
“The main offence was hindrance to the circulation of an airplane. Mr Safoka, who works closely with Mr Jodar, has also been condemned to one year in jail. Two other union activists were given ten months of jail, another one six months, another one four months, and 18 union activists have also been condemned to four suspended months of prison.”
Kanaky: Interview with jailed pro-independence trade union leader Gérard Jodar: here.
Petition: Appeal for the immediate release of USTKE trade unionists
in Kanaky
August 12, 2009 — On August 6, a general strike in Kanaky (or the
French overseas territory of New Caledonia) was called off after an
accord between the trade union confederation USTKE (Federation of Unions
of Kanak Workers and the Exploited) and Air Caledonia was finally signed
by the airline. The signing of the accord, which had been negotiated on
June 11, put an end to 10 days of demonstrations, roadblocks and violent
confrontations with police, motivated as much by a desire for
independence and decolonisation, as by the issue of industrial justice.
* Read more http://links.org.au/node/1199
Comment by Administrator — August 18, 2009 @ 11:12 am