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17 November, 2008
Two meetings were held recently in Colombia, as organised by ICEM Project Coordinator Carlos Bustos. One meeting was held at the Bogotá headquarters of the Colombian electrical workers union, Sintralecol, to discuss the difficult circumstances facing trade unionists in the country, and to improve communication between unions in relation to protecting workers’ rights.
A second meeting, a set of workshops from 27-31 October, saw 38 trade union leaders participate in an ICEM training forum where ideas were exchanged on how to push forward during dangerous times for trade unionists, as well as for local indigenous groups.
Present at the Sintralecol headquarters were representatives from labour unions ISCOD, FIA-UGT, as well as union leaders from the companies Endesa, Repsol, Iberdrola, and Union Fenosa, as well as the national leadership of Sintralecol. They included: Antonio Deusa of FIA-UGT; Monserrat López of FIA-UGT; Donato Palomares, a union leader at Endesa; Antonio Rodríguez of FIA-UGT at Iberdrola; Roberto Cabal and Walter Van Battenburg, trade union leaders at Endesa in Chile; Héctor Fajardo, representing ISCOD; Luís Farfán of Sintralecol; and Bustos.
All present spoke on the political situation in Colombia, expressing their concerns over the serious situation facing workers and the exercise of their human rights in Colombia. With these challenges, the trade unions searched for ways to improve relations at national level and ways to attract international support for workers not protected by the law. The international labour representatives present called for unity in the fight for workers’ rights in Colombia, as well as for decent pay throughout Latin America. All parties present pledged to move forward in solidarity and unity.
The late October training sessions took up the strike of sugar cane workers, now ended, and the conflict that members of Sintraquim, the ICEM Colombian affiliate representing chemical workers, has with management at Laboratorios Biogen. These cases illustrate blatant examples of worker persecution and trade union repression.
Organisations assisting with the event included Sintraquim, Sintraelecol, Sintracarbon and Sintravidricol. Individuals present were Bustos, who coordinates ICEM in Colombia; Hernando Beltrán Sociólogo, a regional expert: Manuel Ángel Téllez of the CUT: Miguel Ángel Castro, an economist; Cristóbal López, who presented her concept of globalization, and Dr. Carlos Rodríguez and Dr. Luís Farfán, who both discussed leadership techniques on how to manage strikes.
All those present pledged action of support and solidarity with comrades at Sintrabiogen, in their struggles for workers’ rights.