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11 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 86/2001
Five oil workers' leaders arrested in Colombia last month have been released from prison, according to information reaching the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
However, the union leaders are reportedly under house arrest and could still face trial - apparently in connection with a strike in the Colombian oil industry on 19 October. The detained leaders are active in the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), a union federation organising mainly in the oil sector.
Ironically, the strike itself was a protest against anti-union terror.
ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs protested to Colombia's President Andres Pastrana over the arrests - and over the continuing wave of anti-union murders in Colombia.
Colombia is the world's most dangerous country for trade unionists. Last year, says the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), no less than 153 of the 209 trade unionists assassinated worldwide were in Colombia.
Almost all the killings in Colombia remain unexplained and unpunished.
However, the union leaders are reportedly under house arrest and could still face trial - apparently in connection with a strike in the Colombian oil industry on 19 October. The detained leaders are active in the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), a union federation organising mainly in the oil sector.
Ironically, the strike itself was a protest against anti-union terror.
ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs protested to Colombia's President Andres Pastrana over the arrests - and over the continuing wave of anti-union murders in Colombia.
Colombia is the world's most dangerous country for trade unionists. Last year, says the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), no less than 153 of the 209 trade unionists assassinated worldwide were in Colombia.
Almost all the killings in Colombia remain unexplained and unpunished.