31 May, 2010
ICEM’s Colombia affiliate, the National Oil Workers’ Union (USO), is seeking continued international solidarity in its conflict with British-based BP in eastern Colombia. As reported in an ICEM briefing that can be seen here, USO has waged a hard fought campaign for union rights, improved wages, and a new collective agreement, including conducting strike actions between January and April.
They have suffered through police violence and on 15 February, union members were hospitalised at a BP plant at Tauramena, part of the Cusiana oil fields in Casanare.
Workers at the plant deployed new tactics in their struggle last week, blocking the entrance to the facility and curtailing production of the Centro de Producción de Fluidos (CPF) for five days. The peaceful occupation of the Cusiana CPF was misrepresented by local BP management, through a campaign of misinformation in the local town of Tauramena. Faulty company reports claim union intimidation and obstruction of food deliveries and people through the blockade.
Access to the gas processing facility is now jointly controlled by USO and BP’s private security firm, as USO is wary of industrial sabotage being carried out that would be blamed on the union and used to undermine the negotiation process. The ICEM demands that BP fully recognise workers’ right to organise and bargain collectively under the guidance of USO. The oil multinational must also implore its contracting firm, SAR Energy, to respect the union and the negotiating process.
The Colombia Solidarity Campaign is organising another picket of BP at its London headquarters, between 14h00 and 18h00 on Wednesday, 2 June, at 1 St James Square.
Protest messages demanding peaceful negotiations with the workers of Casanare can be sent to BP Chief Executive, Tony Hayward at [email protected]. Messages of solidarity and support can be sent to the workers at [email protected].
BP will invest more than US$300 million in Colombia in 2010 and 2011 as it expands its gas and oil production, BP Exploration Colombia President Alberto Galvis confirmed. Colombia has increased its oil production to nearly 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 500,000 bpd in the last three years. According to Galvis, the Cusiana gas facility will be expanded to process 2.8bn cubic metres (bcm) per annum by September 2010. This is in spite of BP’s massive clean-up bill for its Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Oil multinationals are increasing investment in Colombia following corporate friendly fiscal changes by outgoing President Uribe.