C-47 Labor Federation Looks Toward Cuba and USSR

F-2012-32744

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2012-32744 Doc No. C06033942 Date: 02/22/2017
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 PARAMA 02480 01 OF 02 311722Z
ACTION ARA-16
RELEASE IN FULL
INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 INR-10 EUR-12 SS-10 CIAE-00 EB-08 H-01 IO-15 NSC-01 NSAE-00 COME-00 HA-08 L-03 LAB-04 PM-08 PA-01 OMB-01 STR-14 SIL-01 HHS-04 SMS-01 SP-02 SNP-01 PRS-01 /123 W
207346 011320Z/53

R 311212Z OCT 83

FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0670
INFO AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 1993
DIA WASHINGTON DC
USIA WASHDC 0849
AMEMASSY MOSCOW
USMISSION GENEVA
USINT HAVANA

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 2480
STATE FOR ARA/RPP: LABOR OFFICER AND PASS INR/B
BRIDGETOWN FOR RLA SANDMAN
USIA FOR AR
E.O. 12356: DECL: 10/28/89
TAGS: ELAB, PGOV, CU, UR, NS

SUBJ: C-47 Labor Federation Looks Toward Cuba and USSR

REF: PARAMARIBO 2169

  1. (CONFIDENTIAL – ENTIRE TEXT).
  2. SUMMARY: Lately leaders of politically active C-47 labor federation have increased contacts with Cuba and Soviet Union rather than with moderate Caribbean regional labor circles. This pattern of C-47’s external relations coincides with its chairman Fred Derby’s efforts to gather support from moderate labor leaders within Suriname for National Labor Council.

Action requested: None. End summary.

  1. Recent pattern of political activist C-47 labor federation’s Cuban and Soviet international contacts and its leader’s long-standing suspicion of U.S. suggest strongly that C-47 chairman Fred Derby will not seek international balance by similar ostentatious collaboration with moderate regional and international trade union circles. C-47 leaders have enthusiastically turned to Cuba and Soviet Union, according to local media reports.
  2. Thus, during September 23-29 visit to Cuba, Derby and aide Jack Kross behaved and talked as if they were delegated to represent the entire Suriname labor movement, for: (a) they met with unnamed Cuban Communist Party, Politburo, and labor leaders; (b) they characterized their visit as “historic” event and advocated building fruitful contacts and cooperation in labor field between Suriname and Cuba; (c) Derby noted Suriname could learn from Cuban revolution and agreed to attend February 1984 Cuban Labor Congress. He extended to Cuban hosts an invitation to visit Suriname.
  3. During Cuban visit, Derby also mentioned U.S. disparagingly as follows: (a) unity of Cuban people is important weapon against U.S. imperialism; (b) “U.S. blockade of Cuba” had one positive effect: Cuban people, through will and creativity, now produce those goods they formerly imported.
  4. October 11-14 visit to Suriname by two representatives of Soviet labor movement as C-47 guests emphasized friendly relations between two labor movements. Local media reported that two organizations had meeting of minds on following themes: (a) unity of people is necessary to build revolution; (b) working class must be given role in political, social, and economic areas of planning in order to increase its productivity; (c) (note: these same points were also made in the Derby-Kross Cuba visit.) Soviet delegates also had brief pro-forma meeting with representatives of other three labor federations, toured Alcoa’s Suralco bauxite facility, and lectured at SIVIS Labor College.
  5. Media did not report any concrete results of visit, but C-47 vice chairman Frans Menckeberg, who is also SIVIS lecturer, told Poloffs that Soviets also made courtesy call on Labor Minister Boksteen.
  6. Key C-47 leaders Adama and Derby, long-standing critics of U.S., remained true to form in Derby’s statement in Cuba. Adama also recently told Emboffs that C-47’s anti-imperialism and nationalism severely limit its ability to cooperate with the U.S. Adama characterized Caribbean Basin Initiative, for example, as “one more U.S. attempt to buy off” the Caribbean countries. Adama’s long history of hostility toward U.S. includes his groundless 1982 allegation that former Embassy DCM LaRoche had exhorted C-47 to join in Moederbond federation’s October-November 1982 anti-GOS strike—a canard later used by GOS as part of its “evidence” that DCM and PAO had interfered in Suriname’s internal affairs.

Fred Derby chairs Bauxite Negotiations Review Commission (CHOB) in Suriname and also heads two local bauxite workers unions which are affiliates of his C-47 federation. He is widely believed to have been selected by Bouterse to lead labor en masse into GOS’ fold. But Derby does not have wide labor support outside C-47. Other labor leaders generally remain committed to independent, politically detached trade unionism and either distrust Derby or simply refuse to credit evidence that he is pro-Cuban or pro-Soviet as his public actions suggest.

  1. Rival Moederbond federation chairman Fred van Russel emotionally and apparently unintentionally blurted out to Poloffs October 19 that Derby cannot possibly parlay his close ties to GOS into personal domination of labor movement. He said GOS would find it difficult to use Derby as stalking horse in projected labor council because he has so little support among labor leaders. (See Septel).
  2. Ramon Cruden, chairman of PWO federation and also secretary general of GOS National Policy Center, recently told Ambassador that Derby’s cultivation of Cuba and Russia is window dressing attempt to bring balance into labor movement’s outside relationships. According to Cruden, Derby personally cannot abide either Cuba or USSR. He added that Bouterse would not risk handing Derby power that would go with being head of unified labor movement.
  3. Several rank and file workers in unions affiliated with Derby’s federation have indicated to Poloff that workers generally look askance at Derby’s gamesmanship, but admiringly concede that C-47 has outmaneuvered formerly dominant Moederbond (whose dynamic leader, Cyrill Daal, Bouterse caused to be killed in December 1982). These workers say that were political situation in country truly free, there would be strong movement within C-47 to oust Derby as organization’s leader. For present, these sources say, workers follow Derby because (a) they fear violent military reaction to labor unrest that might result from anti-Derby movement within C-47; and (b) workers believe that Derby can, because of his close ties to regime, help increase their wages and benefits.
  4. Biographical notes:
  • A. Media identified Soviet trade union representatives and their affiliations as follows: (1) Mattheus Ossipov, aka Matvei Usipov, chairman of labor federation of Keralia Republic, USSR, board member of USSR’s national labor federation, the ACCTU, and member of Supreme Soviet (parliament); (2) “Mr. Victor,” aka Victor Koryakovtsev, chief of foreign relations section of ACCTU.
  • B. Frans Menckeberg, C-47 vice-chairman assigned as lecturer to SIVIS Labor College, told Poloffs that he, Menckeberg, had attended Soviet Union’s May Day 1983 celebration at invitation of ACCTU. He met both Usipov and Koryakovtsev at that time. Menckeberg also visited U.S. several years ago, possibly as participant in an AIFLD program.

Duemling

Source:

C06033942

Link:

Internal Link:

https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/C-47-Labor-Federation-Looks-Toward-Cuba-and-USSR-October-1983-C06033942.pdf

Date:
October 31, 1983
Categories:
Tags:
Boxes:
F-2012-32744
Years:
1982
Persons:
Adama, Boksteen, Cruden, Daal, Derby, Desi Bouterse, Duemling, Kross, Kusnitz, La Roche, Menckeberg, Sandman, Van Russel
Download PDF
META DATA
    Scroll to Top