14 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 27/2004
The ICEM has today strongly criticized the Colombian government for its brutal attempts to break the near month-long strike at Ecopetrol, the national oil company. Expressing support to Colombian trade union Unión Sindical Obrera de la Industria Del Petróleo (USO), ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs stated in a letter to President Alvaro Uribe that Colombia's use of "armed military personnel in and around Ecopetrol's petroleum facilities has escalated the conflict," making it even more difficult to resolve.
USO march at Barrancabermeja refinery
To date, some 100 USO members and leaders have been fired for participating in the strike. There are reports of arrests death threats and other forms of harassment against USO trade unionists and supporters. In criticizing the government for creating a climate of hostility toward the union and its members, the world's predominant oil and energy trade union federation again called on President Uribe to change course and "find common ground with USO in order that a fair and equitable resolution to this dispute is found."
The Uribe government declared the 22 April strike illegal, citing petroleum refining as an "essential service" in Colombia. In a 30 April letter to President Uribe, Higgs and the ICEM asserted the government was wrong: ILO has traditionally ruled on cases in terms of oil refining not classified "essential service."
The USO strike against Ecopetrol is over the government's restructuring of oil reserves and production in which rewritten contracts have been awarded to several of the oil multinationals creating more favorable terms. The union contends such policies will rob Colombia of the wealth from its natural resources and is the initial move toward selling off Ecopetrol. USO is also seeking a new collective wage agreement through the strike, something the government and company claim will not be addressed.
The 20-million-member ICEM agrees with USO that the current strike at Ecopetrol is a crucial and important strike in modern Colombia and is asking trade unions across the world-particularly in oil and energy sectors-to monitor the dispute and to lend support.