Repression of Unionists in Columbia: Even the AFL-CIO is disgusted

A delegation of AFL-CIO leaders to Colombia told Colombian President Alvaro Uribe the U.S. union movement cannot support the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement until real progress is made to protect the lives and rights of trade union members.

Colombia’s unionists live in a climate of fear; at least 40 trade unionists were murdered in 2007.

The AFL-CIO leadership has criticized the government's lack of action in this area. AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Emerita Linda Chavez-Thompson said:

Despite the Colombian and United States governments’ assertions to the contrary, there has been too little real progress in ending the brutality that trade unionists face in Colombia. In 2008 alone, five trade unionists have been murdered—almost one per week.

Yesterday, the ALF-CIO delegation met with the leaders of some Colombian labor federations. All the Colombian union leaders told the delegation they oppose any free trade deal between the United States and Colombia until the government takes strong action to stop the violence against trade union members and ends the government’s assaults on union rights. They emphasized that the trade agreement in its current form will create more economic insecurity in their country and hurt workers more.

The Colombian union leaders also detailed a government policy of “busting unions.” As an example, they pointed to the Uribe government’s refusal to follow a court order to reinstate and give back pay to members of the oil workers’ union who struck recently.

More facts about the situation of trade unionists in Colombia can be found in this report:
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/jobseconomy/globaleconomy/upload/colombia_b...