| The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released prior to January 20, 2001. Please see www.state.gov for material released since President George W. Bush took office on that date. This site is not updated so external links may no longer function. Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein. |
Title: Romania Human Rights Practices, 1995
Author: U.S. Department of State
Date: March 1996
ROMANIA
Romania is a constitutional republic with a multiparty system and a
directly elected president as chief of state. In the 1992 presidential
election, Ion Iliescu was reelected President with 61 percent of the
popular vote. The majority government coalition led by the Party of
Social Democracy of Romania (PDSR) and headed by Prime Minister Nicolae
Vacaroiu held power from the 1992 parliamentary elections until October
1995 when the PDSR severed links with two extremist parliamentary allies
and became a minority Government. The Government has withstood four no
confidence votes since 1992, despite the fact that the PDSR holds just
34 percent of the parliamentary seats.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs supervises the police. The national
police have primary responsibility for internal security, but in times
of internal disorder the Government may call on the army and the border
guard to assist the police with security. The police have become
increasingly cognizant of human rights, although reports of abuse were
not uncommon.
Romania is a middle-income developing country that is making a gradual
transition from socialism to a market economy. In 1995 the private
sector accounted for about 45 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)
and employed more than half of the country's work force, primarily in
agriculture and services. Government ownership remains dominant in
industry, where 86 percent of output is produced by state-owned
enterprises. Growth continues to accelerate and in 1995 reached 6.9
percent. GDP was about $35 billion in 1995 (or about $1,550 per
capita). Implementation of a tough stabilization plan has reduced
inflation from 290 percent in 1993 to 62 percent in 1994 and to 27.5
percent in 1995. To continue the momentum, the Government has
instituted a mass privatization program which will privatize 3,900 state
enterprises through a modified voucher system. Although unemployment
was a relatively low 8.8 percent in November, it is expected to rise
somewhat as privatization-induced restructuring begins to take effect.
The Government generally respected the rights of its citizens, although
several serious problems remain. The police continued to beat detainees
frequently without effective action by the Government to punish abusers.
Prison conditions remained poor. The judicial system was subject to
executive branch influence. Government appointed prefects dismissed
democratically elected mayors without due process. Discrimination and
societal violence against Roma continued, generally with impunity for
those responsible, and and violence against women remained a serious
problem.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom
from:
a. Political and Other Extrajudicial Killing
There were no reports of political killings.
On January 23 in Satu-Mare, three policemen arrested Istvan Kiss in his
house. They told him that he had to witness a trial, but instead took
him to a police station. Two hours later Kiss was found severely
injured in a street and died on the way to a hospital. The case was
still under investigation by the military prosecutor at year's end. The
case of a railway police officer charged in 1993 with abuse leading to
the death of a beggar is still not resolved. The prison sentence of two
police officers charged with torture and murder in a 1992 case was
reduced to 10 years on appeal. The trial of two secret service officers
accused of murdering three citizens in 1991 continued at year's end.
b. Disappearance
There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment
The Constitution prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading punishment
or treatment, and these prohibitions were generally respected in
practice. However, police frequently used excessive force during arrest
and beat detainees. The military prosecutor's office is charged with
legal oversight of the police, an arrangement that human rights
organizations believe inhibits prosecution or discipline of police
misconduct (see Section 1.e.).
Prison conditions are poor, facilities are overcrowded and unhealthy,
and medical assistance is meager. Credible reports indicated that
beatings have occurred. Prisons continued to use the "cell boss" system
in which some prisoners are designated to be in semiofficial charge of
others.
d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile
The law forbids detention for more than 24 hours without an arrest order
from a prosecutor, who may order an extension for up to 30 more days.
The law requires the authorities to inform a detainee of the charges and
of the right to an attorney at all stages of the legal process; police
must notify the defendant of this right in a language the defendant
understands before obtaining any statement. Detainees have the right to
apply for bail and may ask for a hearing before a judge, and this must
be granted within 24 hours of such a request. In the absence of a
request, the authorities may hold a person for up to 65 days without a
court order. However, police often do not inform citizens of their
rights. Moreover, the prosecutor's office may delay action on a request
for a lawyer for up to 5 days from the date of arrest. In practice, the
local bar association provides attorneys to indigents and is compensated
by the Ministry of Justice.
Exile was not used as a means of punishment.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
Under the terms of a 1992 law, the judicial branch is independent of
other government branches. However, 5 of the 15 members of the Superior
Council of the Magistrature, which controls the selection, promotion,
transfer, and sanctioning of judges, are prosecutors subordinate to a
presidentially appointed Prosecutor General, and all Council members are
nominated by Parliament. Certain labor unions have alleged that the
courts side with the Government in ruling on the legality of strikes and
other labor actions. They charge that no court has ever ruled in favor
of the workers in a labor action against a government entity. Although
the judicial system continued to be at times subject to executive branch
influence, it demonstrated increasing independence.
The 1992 law reestablished a four-tier legal system, including appellate
courts, which had ceased to exist under Communist rule in 1952.
Defendants have final recourse to the Supreme Court or, for
constitutional matters, to the Constitutional Court established in 1992.
Cases involving military personnel and the police (who fall under the
jurisdiction of the military prosecutor) and criminal acts against the
State (including treason and espionage cases) are tried in a three-tier
military court system. Local and international human rights groups
criticize this system, especially investigations conducted by the
military prosecutor's office against police personnel accused of abuses.
These critics claim that these investigations are unnecessarily lengthy
and often purposefully inconclusive, and that the military courts
sometimes block proper investigation of police abuses.
The law provides for fair public trial, and defendants benefit from a
presumption of innocence. The Criminal Code requires that an attorney
be appointed for a defendant who cannot afford legal representation or
is otherwise unable to select counsel. Either a plaintiff or defendant
may appeal. These provisions of the law are respected in practice. The
law provides that confessions extracted as a result of police brutality
may be withdrawn by the accused when brought before the court.
There were no reports of political prisoners.
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or
Correspondence
The Constitution provides for legal protection against the search of a
residence without a warrant, but this protection is subordinate to
"national security or public order." The 1992 National Security Law
defines national security very broadly and lists as threats to national
security not only crimes such as terrorism, treason, espionage,
assassination, and armed insurrection, but also totalitarian, racist,
and anti-Semitic actions or attempts to change the existing national
borders. Security officials may enter residences without proper
authorization from a prosecutor if they deem a threat to national
security "imminent."
The Constitution further states that the privacy of legal means of
communication is inviolable; thus, the Romanian Intelligence Service
(SRI) is legally prohibited from engaging in political acts (e.g.,
monitoring the communications of a political party). However, the laws
on national security allow security services to engage in such
monitoring on national security grounds. Similarly, although the law
requires the SRI to obtain a warrant from a prosecutor to carry out
intelligence activities involving "threats to national security," it may
engage in a wide variety of operations, including "technical
operations," to determine if a situation meets the legal definition of a
"threat to national security."
In 1995 arbitrary interference with citizens' right to privacy was rare.
However, both citizens and foreign diplomats credibly reported opened
mail, personal surveillance, and harassment. The official response to
such complaints was that the SRI was not involved and that
unreconstructed agents of the Securitate--the Communist-era internal
intelligence service--or independent individuals were responsible.
Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
Although the Constitution provides for freedom of expression and
prohibits censorship, it limits the bounds of free expression by
prohibiting "defamation of the country." Amendments to the Penal Code
contemplating even tougher penalties for press and media violations were
rejected by the Parliament.
The case against journalist Nicolae Andrei, charged in 1994 with
slander, was inactive at year's end. The trial of two journalists from
the proopposition daily Ziua began in the fall and continued at year's
end, as both sides delayed the process with procedural objections and
rulings. At the defendants' request, the court appointed a new judge in
December, and the next court session was scheduled for January. The two
are charged, under the existing Penal Code, with defaming the Presidency
by alleging that President Iliescu was a Soviet spy. The trial's
outcome will set a precedent, as the Ziua journalists are the first
well-known journalists to be prosecuted under the Penal Code
restrictions against defaming a state institution. While no charges
were brought against journalists during the year, in smaller towns local
administrators still occasionally try to exercise control over the press
by bringing charges of calumny against local reporters.
Chronic shortages of newsprint continued, although they caused no
cessation of publication. The Government began a major effort to
modernize the country's single newsprint plant. As a result, the plant
was closed for several days in December, when it was announced that it
will be closed for further modernization and repairs from January to
March 1996. During the interregnum, newspapers will be forced to rely
on imported newsprint supplies which are more expensive. The state
newspaper distributor Rodipet remains the only large organization
capable of delivering newspapers and magazines to smaller cities and
towns nationwide. A few publications, however, undertake their own
distribution outside Bucharest, using alternative, private means.
Foreign news publications may be imported and distributed, but high
costs limit their circulation.
The independent electronic media continued to grow, although the
frequencies under which they operate limit their audience. During most
of the year, Romanian State Television (RTV) and Radio Romania were the
only national broadcasters. However, new regulations passed in December
provide for private television broadcasting, and by year's end one
private channel had begun national broadcasting. It claims coverage of
some 35 percent of the country and expects to reach 55 percent by the
end of 1996.
The 1994 administrative law that established boards of directors,
appointed by Parliament, for both state television (RTV) and state radio
remained unimplemented until December when Parliament finally nominated
four candidates to fill the long-vacant positions. The delay allowed
Parliament somewhat greater control over state television than it would
have had if the board had been operational.
Private broadcasting expanded rapidly. As of December, 34 independent
television stations and 103 radio stations were operating. Citizens
throughout the country have growing access to domestic and foreign
broadcasts through the expansion of cable television throughout the
country.
In June the parliamentary commission responsible for overseeing the
Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) decided to investigate a June 21
incident in which SRI agents were accused of filming two journalists in
Bucharest. One of the journalists earlier wrote several articles
accusing President Iliescu of having been a Soviet agent in his youth.
In a June 27 appearance before the oversight commission, the SRI
director claimed that the SRI agents had been on a counterespionage
mission, had only accidentally filmed the journalists, and had been
suspended from duty for lack of professionalism. The case remained in
the courts at year's end.
Academic freedom is respected both inside and outside the classroom.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
The Constitution provides for freedom of assembly, and the Government
generally respected constitutional provisions and laws on free assembly
in practice. The law on public assembly provides for the right of
citizens to assemble peacefully while unarmed but states that meetings
must not interfere with other economic or social activities and may not
be held near locations such as hospitals, airports, or military
installations. Organizers of demonstrations must inform local
authorities and police before the events. The authorities may forbid a
public gathering by notifying the organizers in writing within 48 hours
of receipt of the request. The law prohibits the organization of, or
participation in, a counterdemonstration held at the same time as a
scheduled public gathering.
The law forbids public gatherings to espouse Communist, racist, or
Fascist ideologies or to commit actions contrary to public order or
national security. It punishes unauthorized demonstrations or other
violations by imprisonment and fines. Constitutional provisions and
laws on free assembly were generally respected.
Citizens may form associations, including political parties, and may
obtain legal status for them by proving membership of at least 251
persons.
c. Freedom of Religion
The Constitution provides for religious freedom, and the Government does
not generally impede the observance of religious belief. However,
several Protestant denominations made credible allegations that low-
level government officials harassed them and impeded their efforts at
proselytism and worship, including refusal to grant long-term visas to
foreign missionaries.
A 1948 decree officially recognizes 15 religions whose clergy may
receive state financial support. The State Secretariat for Religious
Affairs has licensed more than 300 faiths and organizations and
foundations under two 1924 laws on juridical entities, entitling them to
juridical status as well as to exemptions from income and customs taxes.
The official registration of faiths and organizations is extremely slow
because of bureaucratic delays. Approximately 86 percent of the
population nominally adheres to the Romanian Orthodox Church.
d. Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign Travel,
Emigration, and Repatriation
The Government places no restrictions on travel within Romania, except
in the case of certain small areas used for military purposes. Citizens
who wish to change their places of work or residence do not face any
official barriers. The law stipulates that citizens have the right to
travel abroad freely, to emigrate, and to return. In practice, citizens
freely exercise these rights.
In 1991 Romania signed the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol
Relating to the Status of Refugees but still does not have implementing
legislation. In its absence, the Government cooperates with the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and has established
committees headed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to deal
with refugee and migration issues. In the first 6 months of 1995, 240
persons filed asylum applications. Of the 60,000 to 80,000 illegal
migrants transiting from third world countries to Western Europe through
Romania, approximately 1,600 were registered as asylum seekers, of which
70 were recognized as refugees.
As of July 31, a total of 445 refugees and asylum seekers depended on
UNHCR's direct assistance for subsistence, including food,
accommodation, clothing, medical assistance, and language or vocational
training. Another 300 to 400 asylum seekers relied on the UNHCR for
legal assistance, social counseling, and translation services. Only
about 15 refugees and asylum seekers are housed in the single government
refugee camp.
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to
Change Their Government
The Constitution provides citizens with the right to change their
government through periodic and free elections held on the basis of
universal suffrage, and they have exercised this right. However,
between 1992 and September 1995, government appointed prefects dismissed
for various alleged abuses 133 freely elected mayors--116 of whom
belonged to the opposition parties or were independent--prior to binding
legal ruling on the charges. In addition, prefects peremptorily removed
a large number of local council members from office.
There are no legal restrictions on the participation of women in
government or politics, but societal attitudes constitute a significant
impediment. Women hold 2.9 percent of the seats in Parliament, have no
cabinet positions, and number only 1.1 percent of the mayors.
The Constitution and electoral legislation grant each recognized ethnic
minority one representative in Parliament's Chamber of Deputies,
provided that the minority's political organization obtains at least 5
percent of the average number of valid votes needed to elect a deputy
outright (only some 1,100 votes in the 1992 elections). Organizations
representing 13 minority groups elected deputies under this provision in
1992. The ethnic Hungarians, represented by the Hungarian Democratic
Union of Romania (UDMR), obtained 27 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
and 12 seats in the Senate through the normal electoral process. Roma
are underrepresented in Parliament due to low Roma turnout at the polls
and internal divisions which worked against the consolidation of votes
for one Roma candidate, organization, or party. They have not increased
parliamentary representation beyond the one seat provided them through
the Constitution and electoral legislation.
Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and
Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights
Domestic human rights monitoring groups include the Romanian Helsinki
Committee, the independent Romanian Society for Human Rights, the League
for the Defense of Human Rights, the Romanian Institute for Human
Rights, and several issue-specific groups such as the Young Generation
of Roma and the Center for Crisis Intervention and Study, also a Roma
NGO. Other groups, such as political parties and trade unions,
continued to have sections monitoring observance of human rights.
These groups, as well as international human rights organizations,
functioned freely without government interference and visited prisoners
and detainees. However, the authorities have not been cooperative with
all human rights groups. The General Inspectorate of the police in the
Ministry of Interior has frozen its relations with the Romanian Helsinki
Committee since January 1994, when RTV aired a prime time 2-hour
critical documentary prepared by the Committee. During a seminar on
tolerance organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) and held in Bucharest, government officials refused to
allow a Turkish NGO which had attended previous seminars organized by
the OSCE to participate in the meeting.
Section 5 Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability,
Language, or Social Status
The Constitution forbids discrimination based on race, nationality,
ethnic origin, language, religion, sex, opinion and political
allegiance, wealth, or social background. In practice, however, the
Government does not effectively enforce these provisions, and women,
Roma, and other minorities are subject to various forms of extralegal
discrimination.
Women
Violence against women, particularly rape, continued to be a serious
problem. A study released in January by an American NGO, Minnesota
Advocates for Human Rights, concluded that domestic violence is a
pervasive problem which the Government has done little to address.
There are no crisis centers, shelters, or hot lines for female victims,
and media coverage is virtually nonexistent.
According to Ministry of Interior statistics, 706 women were raped in
the first 7 months of 1995, with 12 resulting in the death of the
victim. In practice, rape goes unpunished due to the difficulty of
prosecution in view of the legal requirement for both a medical
certificate and a witness.
Both the Constitution and international conventions which Romania has
adopted grant women and men equal rights. In practice, however, the
Government does not enforce these provisions, nor do the authorities
focus attention or resources on women's issues. The rate of
unemployment for women is significantly higher than for men, and women
occupy few influential positions in the private sector. There are few
recourses for women experiencing economic discrimination.
Children
The Government's system of health care and public education benefits
children, but there are no programs for children with special needs.
Most resources for children still flow mainly from international
agencies and NGO's.
There was no perceptible pattern of societal abuse of children.
Nevertheless, large numbers of impoverished and apparently homeless but
not necessarily orphaned children roamed the streets of the larger
cities. No government statistics are available defining the scope of
the problem, but deteriorating economic conditions contributed to
increased juvenile delinquency and vandalism. Some NGO's cited special
concern about the number of minors detained in jail and prison and were
seeking alternative solutions, such as parole for juveniles.
People With Disabilities
Difficult economic conditions and serious budgetary constraints
contributed to very difficult living conditions for those who suffer
physical or mental disabilities. Many disabled people cannot make use
of government-provided transportation discounts because public transport
does not have facilitated access. Accessibility for the disabled,
including to buildings and parking, is not mandated by law.
Religious minorities
More than 200 graves in a Jewish cemetery were vandalized over an
extended period by minors. There was no evidence of anti-Semitic signs
or graffiti. The parents of the minors charged with the vandalism were
fined. The extreme wing of the nationalist press continued its anti-
Semitic harangues, to the discomfiture of the remaining Jewish
population of less than 15,000. President Iliescu has publicly
condemned anti-Semitism, other types of racism, and xenophobia.
National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Ethnic Hungarians constitute the largest and most vocal minority. The
UDMR--the ethnic Hungarian political party--holds 39 seats in
Parliament. There was no violence in 1995 associated with ethnic
Hungarian problems despite extremist rhetoric from the Party of Romanian
National Unity, the resumption of archaeological excavations near the
statue of Hungarian King Mateus Corvinus in Cluj, and other provocative
acts by nationalist extremists.
A highly controversial Law on Education was adopted in June. Although
the law was deemed by the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities
to be in line with European and international standards, it rescinds the
rights of Hungarians to take university entrance examinations in
Hungarian for those subjects not taught in Hungarian. It also dictates
that certain vocational schools use only Romanian, which some Hungarians
charge will disadvantage Hungarian ethnic citizens who work in these
areas. However, implementation of the law has been postponed until
1997, and the Government has accepted OSCE review of the implementation
process.
Roma continued to be subjected to acts of discrimination, harassment,
beatings, and violence. The trial of the arsonists of 13 Romani homes
in Hardeni in 1993 is still pending. The trial of the persons who
torched 11 Romani homes in Racsa in May 1994 continues; the victims
received apartments from the Government in Satu Mare and have not
returned to Racsa. In January a conflict in the village of Bacu
degenerated into violence, with Romanians shooting at two Roma, beating
several others, and setting fire to three Romani houses. One woman
suffered injuries so severe that she required amputation of a leg. The
police have identified and arrested the arsonists.
Without consulting Romani groups, government authorities adopted an
official designation for the Roma which was considered highly derogatory
by some Roma. This arbitrary decision was strongly criticized by some
Roma as well as several OSCE member states.
Section 6 Worker Rights
a. The Right of Association
The law provides that all workers except public employees, police, and
military personnel have the right to associate freely, to engage in
collective bargaining, and to form and join labor unions without
previous authorization. No worker may be forced to join or withdraw
from a union, and union officials who resign from elected positions and
return to the regular work force are protected against employer
retaliation. The majority of workers are members$of about 18 nationwide
trade union confederations and smaller independent trade unions.
The law stipulates that labor unions should be free from government or
political party control, and the Government has honored this in
practice. Unions are free to engage in political activity and have done
so.
There are legal limitations on the right to strike only in industries
such as defense, health care, transportation, and telecommunications,
which the Government considers critical to the public interest.
However, union members complain that unions must submit grievances to
government-sponsored conciliation before initiating a strike and are
frustrated with the courts' propensity to declare illegal the major
strikes on which they were asked to rule. Past studies have indicated
that labor legislation adopted in 1991 falls short of International
Labor Organization (ILO) standards in several areas, including free
election of union representatives, binding arbitration, and financial
liability of strike organizers.
In 1995 the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association asked the ILO
governing body to approve its recommendation that the Government amend
restrictive provisions on the right to strike. The recommendation
resulted from the conclusion of an August 1993 strike launched by
railway locomotive engineers, when the national railway company fired
six union leaders. The ILO committee also asked the governing body to
approve its recommendation that the Government reinstate the suspended
labor leaders. Unions representing divergent sectors of the economy
carried out strikes, or threatened to strike, throughout 1995.
Labor unions may freely form or join federations and affiliate with
international bodies. The National Confederation of Trade Unions-Fratia
(CNSLR-Fratia) and the National Union Bloc are affiliated with the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). Alfa Cartel
is affiliated with the World Labor Confederation. Representatives of
foreign and international organizations freely visit and advise Romanian
trade unionists.
b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
Workers have the right to bargain collectively under the 1991
legislation, but collective bargaining efforts are limited by continued
state control over most industrial enterprises and the absence of
independent management representatives. Basic wage scales for employees
of state-owned enterprises are established through collective bargaining
with the State (see Section 6.e.). According to ICFTU's 1995 survey of
violations, difficulties arose in the collective bargaining arena in the
areas of unilateral employer changes to contracts, refusal of
authorities to register collective agreements, and prevention of union
organizing by some companies, among others. In July the Government
signed a tripartite collective bargaining agreement with CNSLR-FRATIA
and the National Union of Romanian Employees. The other major labor
confederations refused to sign because they questioned the agreement's
terms and the negotiating process. In November CNSLR-FRATIA accused the
Government of failing to comply with the provisions of the agreement.
The law bars antiunion discrimination by employers.
There are no export processing zones.
c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
The Constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor. The Ministry of
Labor and Social Protection (MOLSP) effectively enforces this
prohibition.
d. Minimum Age for Employment of Children
The minimum age for employment is 16 years, but children as young as age
14 or 15 may work with the consent of their parents or guardians,
although only "according to their physical development, aptitude, and
knowledge." Working children under age 16 have the right to continue
their education, and the law obliges employers to assist in this regard.
Child labor is not a problem, and children do not work illegally
routinely. The MOLSP has the authority to impose fines and close
sections of factories to enforce compliance with the law, which it
enforces effectively.
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work
Most wage rates are established through collective bargaining at the
enterprise level. However, they are based on minimum wages for given
economic sectors and categories of workers which the Government sets
after negotiations with industry representatives and the labor
confederations. Minimum wage rates are generally observed and enforced.
In addition, workers and pensioners receive salary increases indexed to
price increases several times a year. In 1995 the minimum monthly wage,
nominally $33 (L 85,000) in December, did not keep pace with inflation
and did not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family.
The Government still partly subsidizes basic necessities such as milk,
bread, housing, and medical care.
The Labor Code provides for a standard workweek of 40 hours or 5 days,
with overtime to be paid for weekend or holiday work or work in excess
of 40 hours. It also includes a requirement for a 24-hour rest period
in the workweek, although most workers receive 2 days off. Paid
holidays range from 18 to 24 days annually, depending mainly on the
employee's length of service. The law requires employers to pay
additional benefits and allowances to workers engaged in particularly
dangerous or difficult occupations.
Some labor organizations press for healthier, safer working conditions
on behalf of their members. The MOLSP has established safety standards
for most industries and is responsible for enforcing them. However, it
lacks sufficient trained personnel for inspection and enforcement, and
employers generally ignore its recommendations. Although they have the
right to refuse dangerous work assignments, workers seldom invoke it in
practice, appearing to value increased pay over a safe and healthful
work environment. Neither the Government nor industry, still mostly
state owned, has the resources necessary to improve health and safety
conditions significantly.
(###)
[end of document]
Return
to 1995 Human Rights Practices report home page.
Return to DOSFAN
home page.
This is an official U.S. Government source
for information on the WWW. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links
does not imply endorsement of contents.