Read this article in:
30 November, 2009
The ICEM fully supports the ‘Justice for Colombia’ campaign against the signing of an EU-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA). The trade agreement is currently being negotiated, despite strong opposition when it first appeared on the agenda, five months ago.
Justice for Colombia is a coalition of trade unions in Europe, especially the UK, and is backed by the TUC. The coalition supports the Colombian trade union movement and Colombian people, in their struggle for social justice, decent work, and respect for trade union rights. EMCEF (European Mine, Chemical and Energy workers' Federation) has also expressed strong support for the campaign, the ICEM and EMCEF call upon affiliates and supporters to take action in support of this campaign. Visit the campaign website here.
The human rights concerns in Colombia are extreme. The murder of trade unionists is becoming more and more common, with the country’s security forces consistently involved in the crimes. Those security forces act with the support of the government, who often publically label trade unionists as terrorists and never chase convictions for those responsible for the murders. These concerns have moved the US and Canada to delay their FTAs with Colombia, and the EU should also refuse to reward the Colombian government, until the human rights situation improves.