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15 December, 2008
On 1-2 December, in Bogotá, Colombia, union leaders of ICEM affiliate Sintracarbòn delivered a list of demands to management of Carbones del Cerrejón, the world-class coal mining operation owned by BHP Billiton, AngloAmerican, and Xstrata. The workers are seeking solutions regarding serious problems in health, education, low wages, outsourcing of labour, and effects on the local community.
Preliminary discussions were carried out on 3-4 December at company headquarters in the city of Barranquilla, where a course was set forth for the negotiations to continue. The direct settlement stage of discussions began 9 December, where both parties again agreed on the required methodology in approaching negotiation of the union demands.
This massive open-pit mining enterprise in the northern state of Guajira produces highly desirable low-carbon thermal coal. The mine produces 32 million tones annually, with a majority of that shipped to Europe, with exports to North America second in scope.
Miners of Sintracarbòn in Colombia
Since January 2007, when the ICEM assisted Sintracarbòn in achieving its current and now expiring labour contract, the number of health problems of workers has increased dramatically, up to 700, leading to the demand for a better health care system for both workers and their families. Aims to reduce the numbers of outsourced workers at the mine would develop economic stability for miners and their families, as well as efficient unionization of the workforce enabling collective bargaining.
The union represents some 4,500 full-time Carbones del Cerrejón workers, with another 4,000 employees working for service providers. Sintracarbòn is requesting solidarity again from its global affiliation, as well as from national level unions in Colombia as the talks progress in December.