Helge Rønning Birkelund

helge@lomedia.no

A major corruption scandal in the European Union has been instigated by the Belgian police, and is now also affecting the international trade union movement.

Most of the attention has been on the vice president of the European Union Parliament, Greece Eva Kaili, who is still in custody in Belgium.

The corruption cases are linked to Qatar and Morocco and include large amounts of euros paid in fiat money.

Labor union movement

The international trade union movement was also affected.

Newly elected Secretary General of the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), Luca Visentini was arrested and jailed for two days last weekend, before he was released with mandatory reporting.

What he represents is no small matter.

The organization where he is chief executive represents 200 million workers in 163 countries and territories.

LO, YS and Unio are Norwegian member organizations.

Acknowledged violation

Luca Visentini has admitted breaking Belgian law by accepting less than €50,000 in notes in a carry-on bag.

The maximum limit for receiving money without notifying the authorities in Belgium is 30,000 euros.

Luca Visentini has temporarily stepped down from the post of General Secretary of the ITUC, pending Wednesday’s meeting of the ITUC General Council – the ITUC’s highest body between congresses.

The Nordic section of the international trade union movement demanded at a general meeting Wednesday that Visentini be suspended until the case has been fully investigated and the legal system has made a decision. That’s not the result.

But the ITUC has suspended it, for the time being, until March 11.

The head of the international department at LO, Liv Tørres, remains satisfied with that.

He was shocked by how many people were clear that he should be suspended.

– Some may have a slightly different way forward and different views on what the future will look like. But in reality he (the secretary general) has admitted to receiving 50,000 euros in cash. That in itself is a violation of Belgian law. Everything paid in excess of 3,000 euros must be reported. It is not done. He also admitted that what he had done had given the international trade union movement a bad reputation and raised questions about the integrity of ITUC, Liv Tørres told FriFagbevegelse.

He attended a digital meeting, in which LO leader Peggy Hessen Følsvik participated.

To be investigated

In addition, the meeting decided that an external investigation into what had happened would be initiated. There’s a big deal about that.

That is, an independent external audit of all financial matters relating to claims-related circumstances and ITUC financial rules and procedures.

Among other things, the inquiry will find out who gave the money to whom, what it was used for, for what purpose and whether it affected his (Visentini’s) election campaign for the position of general secretary of the ITUC.

The second part of the decision is to set up a special commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the allegations against Luca Visentini, including the results of an external audit, and possibly other matters.

The commission should be independent, but at the same time composed of well-known trade unionists who can judge this political part.

What needs to be changed in the articles of association and what regulations must be made regarding the receipt of money.

The aim should be for the results of the investigation to also be shared with the Belgian police, said Tørres.

Tudors work

Luca Visentini is currently suspended until an internal review is completed, as planned in March.

Liv Tørres says there is wide agreement about the seriousness of the problem and the need to protect the reputation of the trade union movement.

– The consensus is that this case seriously damages the reputation and integrity of the international trade union movement. There are strong voices that show how dangerous this case is, how much ethical problems ITUC is causing, says Liv Tørres.

Present alone

He was glad that more people were clear about this.

Luca Visentini himself was present at the start of the meeting, where he explained his case. Then he left the meeting.

Everyone was affected by the seriousness of the moment. Nothing like this had ever hit the international trade union movement before. The problem is big, serious, complex and difficult.

Until January, Deputy Secretary-General Owen Tudor of Great Britain will be the ITUC summit. Then a new General Council will be convened to elect a new interim management, until the situation around Luca Visentini becomes clear.

According to FriFagbevegelse’s experience, some voices are said to believe that Visentini is innocent until proven otherwise, and he can therefore continue in his position. But there is an overwhelming majority in favor of suspending him until March and then it will be up to the General Council to decide what happens next.

The General Council reaffirmed ITUC’s total opposition to all forms of corruption, and its determination to ensure strict precautionary and precautionary measures. Where there is corruption, workers are one of the main victims.