News

The UNI Graphical & Packaging delegation of Steve Walsh HoD, Marvin Largaespada, UNI Americas and Juan Alberto Parra, President of SINTRAPULCAR met Kimberly Clark, Colombia’s Director of Human Resources, Ana Lucia Bustamante and Roberto Varela the HR manager for the plant at Tocancipa.



There are three KC plants in Colombia at Barbosa, Tocancipa and Puerto Tejada. Kimberly Clark employs over 600 workers in the 3 plants.



There was discussion about the global dialogue agreement which states that both parties are not to engage in bullying, intimidation or harassment in respect to workers either wishing to join or not join a union.



UNI Graphical & Packaging are working with Sintrapulcar in organizing this plant and identifying workers who are interested in forming a union.



The UNI delegation sought from management a meeting between the workers and Juan Alberta Parra from Sintrapulcar at the site, the HR Director said that decision would need to be authorized at a global level.



The company provided an overview of the site and said that workers in the Kimberly Clark plant at Barbosa were paid 3 times the minimum salary that is required under Colombian law. In addition the workers who are employed by the Co-operatives who supply labour and services to the plant are paid between 20-30% more than the minimum rate. They also said that there were no Co-operative workers engaged in the production process.



The company also explained that the workers had consistently received increases that were in excess of the state decisions and that there was ongoing consultation with the employees as well as the opportunity for one on one discussions.



Further details contact steve.walsh@uniglobalunion.org