News

On February 22nd, 2014, a group of workers from Papeles Familia Sancela, a company owned by the Swedish multinational SCA, decided to form a union as a tool for defending their labour and social rights, and thereby exercising the constitutional right to freedom of association.

This process has been accompanied by the National Union of Paper, Pulp and Cardboard Workers SINTRAPULCAR, UNI Global Union, and Industriall.

Industriall and Swedish SCA signed a Global Agreement through which the company undertakes to respect freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The National Union School (ENS in Spanish) is attending all legal and training actions of worker representatives.

"We hope the company does not respond in Colombia’s  usual manner, retaliating against workers; we want it to act with tolerance, sound judgement and especially with social responsibility, as it does in its home country" stated Marvin Largaespada and Carlos Bustos, representatives of UNI Americas and Industriall.

Meanwhile the leaders of the new union called on workers to massively join this new organisation to give it strength and collective bargaining power.

"A few months ago we signed a collective agreement with Kimberly Clark in Colombia and we have now made ​​the first step to organise Papeles Familia. This is part of the decision of UNI Americas to improve the lives of packaging workers and their families, through building strong and representative unions, "said Adriana Rosenzvaig, Regional Secretary of UNI Americas.