7 October, 2009After the closure of Sidelpa, resulting in the dismissal of 800 workers, the multinational now aims to close the Laminados Andinos plant at Duitama. The workers have occupied the factory in order to defend their jobs.
COLOMBIA: The multinational company Gerdau is trying to close another of its subsidiaries in Colombia. It is now trying to close the Laminados Andinos plant at Duitama, which will mean more dismissals and the disappearance of another trade union.
In response, Duitama workers have occupied the factory in order to defend their jobs.
The Yumbo branch of SINTRAMETAL, the national metalworkers' union, is calling on the trade union movement to complain about the company to the International Human Rights Committee, the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, the OAS and the United Nations and "to defend the right to work, human dignity and our class consciousness, to keep the company open and to live with dignity in our own country."
Sintrametal added that the union must fight harder than ever over the next two months in order to stop the company dismissing their members. It is worth recalling that the company Sidelpa S.A. and consequently the 50 year old Yumbo branch of SINTRAMETAL were closed in July this year. Despite trade union action, the company terminated the employment contracts of approximately 800 workers.
The IMF has offered its solidarity to our Colombian colleagues and written to Gerdau executives demanding respect for the jobs of workers at Laminados Andinos and all other workers employed by this multinational in Colombia.