Protokoll 2003 - Seko

trying to help workers, in those countries where they suffer much more
than we do, to be able to create their own organizations, to be able to
defend themselves. We have done that throughout Latin America, throughout
Asia, throughout Africa. And again: You have been one of the main
supporters of that work.
You don't often hear of the successes, but there is one which I think you
can be proud of. It is something which we worked at for years together,
and that was to create a Post and Telecom Union in Zimbabwe in Africa.
It is now probably the strongest union that there is in Zimbabwe. And
there is a country which suffers! It is the first country I have ever come
across, in all my experience in international work, where they have run out
of money. It is not a problem with the country running out of foreign
exchange; it has actually physically run out of money! They cannot afford
to print money any more. And so people don't get paid, because there is no
money in the bank that they can be given any more. This is the state in
which Zimbabwe is today, and it is a state where the president at the same
time is building himself one of the most luxurious palaces in Africa.
But there is a political movement of resistance, called the Movement for
democratic change, which, despite the fact that its members are killed or
imprisoned, continues. The deputy general secretary of that organization
is actually the general secretary of the Post and Telecom Union which you
helped to create, which you helped to form.
We will go on supporting them. We are proud that we have created an
organization which is fighting for the dignity of workers there and everywhere.
We hope that you too are proud of that, and we hope that we will
go on working together to make such things possible in the future, as well.
Thank you very much!
Jan Rudén, förbundsordförande: Thank you, Philip, for an inspiring
speech. It was close to our program ”Regulate the deregulation”, and we
will work close to you in the future.
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