OPPOSITION LABOR PUSHES FOR LIBERAL UNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001482 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN SCHIFFER, DRL FOR MAGGIO E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL ELAB SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LABOR PUSHES FOR LIBERAL UNITY REF: MANAGUA 1083 Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4(b,d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Liberal labor federation Permanent Workers' Congress (CPT) seeks to form a "Pro Unity Committee" to create a unified Liberal platform and break the political impasse between the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN) and the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC). CPT leaders worry that Liberal disunity is weakening their federation while bolstering Sandinista unions. They believe that democracy in Nicaragua cannot wait for Liberal leaders to resolve personal differences and that a "bottom-up" social movement, led by organized labor, is essential to jump-start Liberal unity. We will monitor this initiative and work to facilitate dialog with other democratic civil society groups as needed. END SUMMARY. Liberal Disunity Hurting Democratic Unions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (C) In a June 6 meeting with poloff, leaders of the CPT labor federation expressed their frustration over the inability of the PLC and ALN to unify into a single Liberal opposition block. They complained that while the two parties bicker and posture, Sandinista President Daniel Ortega continues to consolidate his control of the country. As democratic union leaders, they are acutely concerned with his consolidation efforts within the organized labor sector. Leaders claim that CPT-affiliated union leaders and members -- especially in ministries and State institutions -- are being fired, discriminated against, and pressured to join the National Workers' Federation (FNT),the Sandinista labor federation. Further, CPT leaders claim that ministers and heads of autonomous State agencies are bringing in Sandinista union organizers and actively advocating for Sandinista-affiliated unions, leaving employees with the impression that their membership is obligatory. Unions Advocate "Bottom-Up" Approach - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) CPT leaders characterized the current Liberal stalemate as a battle of wills between the leaders of the two parties - Eduardo Montealegre (ALN) and Arnoldo Aleman (PLC) - and that all of Nicaragua is paying the price. They lamented that neither one is "worth the price" that society is paying as their battle continues. In an attempt to break the stalemate, CPT recently met with leaders of both parties' National Assembly caucuses to promote the idea of a "Pro Unity Committee" as a way of breaking the current political impasse. ¶4. (C) This CPT-led initiative would bring together leaders from both parties, civil society (i.e., labor),and the private sector to hammer-out a unified Liberal agenda that would then be formally presented to the ALN and PLC leadership. CPT leaders envision an assembly of up to 400 leaders from these various sectors working in groups to develop various elements of the platform. ¶5. (C) CPT leaders are convinced that a "bottom-up" approach -- using organized labor as the central catalyst and organizing element -- is the only way to kick-start the unification process. They hold that creating momentum outside the political arena will work to "pull" political leaders into a labor / civil society movement vs. waiting for political leaders to resolve their differences and "push" the opposition movement from the top-down. Comment - - - - ¶6. (C) Faced with daily complaints from their labor affiliates of firings and pressure, CPT leaders are very concerned about losing their membership base and frustrated with Liberal political leaders whose inaction and lack of leadership, they believe, is enabling Ortega's labor allies to operate with impunity. As Nicaragua's biggest non-Sandinista labor federation, CPT's leaders believe they have the clout, connections, and membership to force Liberal unification from the bottom-up. The problem is, CPT has scant resources to organize even on a small scale. Thus, it is unclear how they plan to organize and support this 400-person Pro Unity Committee, and how they plan to mount and sustain a pro-democracy movement long enough to draw in enough other disenfranchasized labor organizations, civil society groups, and private sector players to create the critical mass necessary to convince Liberal political leaders from both the ALN and PLC to come on board. ¶7. (C) That CPT is actively promoting the Pro Unity Committee idea demonstrates their fear of the sea change underway in the labor sector. Post will continue to monitor their progress and, to the extent possible, help facilitate the involvement of other union organizations, and civil society groups that have independently approached the Embassy voicing similar concerns of disenfranchisement. In addition, post will coordinate with the Nicaraguan Permanent Commission for Human Rights (CPDH),Nicaragua's leading human rights advocate, which has begun an independent labor consolidation initiative centered around the Unified Teachers Union (USM) (reftel). Finally, post will forward to the desk and DRL a CPT proposal for a nationwide intensive capacity building program designed to help fortify and energize its democratic labor base, both essential steps in motivating and, if necessary, mobilizing its work force to drive Liberal unity from the bottom up. Post strongly urges immediate consideration of this proposal. TRIVELLI