News

A delegation of representatives from CEP Canada including: Dave Coles, Angela Adams and Sheila Katz, met with Sintrapulcar workers from Kimberly Clark in Tocacinpá. The purpose of the meeting was to determine the company’s attitude after the union had been created and the development of collective bargaining; but above all to convey the support of a very important organization affiliated to UNI from its country of origin. Also in attendance were national leaders of Sintrapulcar, CUT Bogota, Industriall, and the National Union School.



Kimberly Clark’s trade union in Tocacinpá was created in May last year with the support of UNI Americas and Industriall, becoming part of Sintrapulcar (National Union of Paper, Pulp and Cardboard Workers), and becoming the first union of Kimberly Clark’s four Colombian plants.



Built on solid foundations, protected by global instruments (such as the Social Dialogue Agreement signed between UNI and the company in 2010) and the national legislation, it was prepared to negotiate and reach a collective agreement that would benefit workers in KC. However, during negotiations the company refused to meet the demands and ended the dialogue.

After exhausting the bargaining stage for settlement of demands presented by Sintrapulcar-Tocancipá, the workers voted for an arbitration court to resolve the labour dispute.



In this way the union can see this turn of events as a victory, given that the company in order to weaken the union’s influence and not let it grow, decided to improve and give the Antioquia and Cauca plant workers the benefits of the collective agreement that until then only applied to the Tocancipá plant.