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Sudan: The Trader's Union in Sinnar, Sudan, including its mandate, organization, membership, activities and any difficulties encountered by its members

No reports of the Trader's Union in Sinnar could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the following information is of interest.

Two sources consulted by the Research Directorate indicate that after the 1989 coup d'état, the government of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) abolished trade union activity (The Europa World Year Book 2002 2002, 3743; Country Reports 2001 2002, 654). It

closed union offices, froze union assets, forbade strikes, and prescribed severe punishments, including the death penalty, for violations of its labor decrees, and there is a continuing ban under the emergency decree on labour unions not sanctioned by the Government. ... Approximately

95, 000 trade union members reportedly were dismissed from their jobs by the Government during purges of the civil service in the 1990s (Country Reports 2001 2002, 654).

With the exception of the "government-controlled" Sudan Workers' Trade Union Federation (SWTUF), a blue-collar organization representing about 800,000 members which continued to operate in 2001, "all other" unions were banned (ibid.). Labour leaders were dismissed from their jobs or detained, although "all those" arrested were released by the end of the year (ibid.). Sudanese law, according to Country Reports 2001, does not prevent employers from practising "antiunion discrimination" (2002, 654).

Freedom in the World 2001 - 2002, reports that there are no independent trade unions. The Sudan Workers Trade Unions Federation is the main labor organization, with about 800,000 members. Local union elections are rigged to ensure the election of government-approved candidates. A lack of labor legislation limits the freedom of workers to organize or bargain collectively (26 June 2002).

Notwithstanding, the ban on labour unions imposed by the government, Country Reports observes that, in 2001 unions were free to form federations and affiliate with international organizations such as the Africa Workers' Union and the Arab Workers' Union (2002, 654).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 2002. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. United States Government Prining Office.

The Europa World Year Book 2002. 2002. Vol. 2. London: Europa Publications.

Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Liberties 2001 - 2002. 26 June 2002. "Sudan: Political Rights and Civil Liberties." Edited by Adrian Karantnycky. New York: Freedom House. <http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2002/countryratings/

sudan2.htm> [Accessed 27 Mar. 2003]

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series

Country Reports

IRB Databases

Keesing's Record of World Events

NEXIS

Resource Centre. Country File. Sudan

Internet sites, including:

All Africa

ICRC

Relief Web

UNHCR

Search engines, including:

Google