TAKE ACTION FOR TIMOR: Email the US Ambassador

Dear Ambassador,

Re: Unfair dismissal of Mario Baretto and subsequent refusal of the US Mission in Timor-Leste to meet with Mr Baretto's Union.

I am writing to urge you to meet with the union representatives of Mr Baretto to collaboratively resolve the disputation about Mr Baretto's unfair dismissal as per the Labour Code of Timor-Leste.

As you are aware, the US Mission in Timor-Leste refused to meet with the General Workers Union of Timor-Leste (SJTL) on 22 November 2010 regarding the unfair dismissal Mr Baretto on the basis that:

"as part of the terms of his employment, Mr Baretto was/is not allowed to be a member of any organized union and therefore we will not meet with any representative acting on his behalf."

The US Mission is denying Mario Baretto his right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests as per Article 23 (4) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The US Mission is also breaching the International Labour Organization convention 87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 which Timor-Leste ratified on 16 June 2009.

US Mission officials had previously refused to meet with SJTL or to attend mediation by the Labour Board on the incorrect assertion that the United States of America enjoys diplomatic immunity as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 ("Convention"). The employer is the United States of America and not an individual representative of the US Mission and as such is not covered by the Convention.

I am asking that the United States of America honour your obligations under national and international law and that the US Mission in Timor-Leste rectify your breaches of human and labour rights immediately.

I request a response to this correspondence.

Yours sincerely

Name:
Name of organisation and position in Organisation (If writing on an organisation's behalf):
Contact details:

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Please send this to others & encourage them to take this action.

SJTL, the General Workers' Union of Timor-Leste has also sent a version of this letter to:

If you haven't already seen the Open Letter to Barack Obama, read it here.

On behalf of SJTL and especially Mario Baretto -

thank you