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UNI-Americas Rodolfo Benitez opens media conference in Bogota

UNI is step up its work in Colombia as part of a global “Freedom from fear” project that aims to support human rights and labour rights.

Colombia remains the most dangerous place to be a trade union activist or leader - with 41 killings so far this year, an increase from 2007.

The UNI global union mission to Colombia has called for speedier action to catch the killers of victims like bank union leader Leonidas Gomez who was murdered in his own apartment in March.

“More needs to be done,” UNI’s Philip Jennings told an end-of-mission media conference. “Trade union rights are human rights and every Colombian worker should have the right to belong to a union and be covered by a collective agreement.”

He acknowledged that the number of prosecutors and judges has recently been increased and protection for union leaders is now being provided. “But we need more than protection for the people, we also need protection for the principles of trade unionism.”



UNI mission meets staff at the Swedish embassy in Bogota

UNI wants to help change the climate of hostility to unions built into many government policies and from employers - including multinational companies - and breathe oxygen into a fledgling social dialogue.

General Secretary Philip Jennings told Colombian affiliates that UNI is looking at ways to establish a permanent presence in Colombia and to increase the number of projects there.

He pledged UNI’s support for Colombian unions to grow their membership - and to build new membership in service sectors like commerce.

He called for increased support for the faltering International Labour Organisation tripartite initiative in Colombia that aims to build dialogue between employers, unions and the government and underpin global labour standards in the country.

He urged Colombian unions to involve themselves in the UNI’s Global Compact network in the country, which is tackling issues like human rights but without union input so far.

He invited multinationals - including those with global agreements with UNI - to join in a round table initiative to promote the positive role of industrial relations in giving workers a collective voice and negotiations.

Telefonica and Carrefour are just two of the prominent companies with global agreements with UNI expected to be invited. Citibank (Leonidas’s employer) has already been urged to join with UNI in promoting the positive industrial relations in the Colombian arm of the US-based banking giant with its long-standing collective agreement.

“Private sector employers and the government have to send a distinctive message to the people of Colombia that is positive about the right to join a union,” said Philip. “We have to move on.”



Many overseas companies are attracted to Colombia by the ultra liberal policies of the Uribe government and an industrial relations climate that has left only 2% of the potential workforce in secure jobs. Instead precarious work has been promoted, encouraging a race to the bottom in conditions and making union organisation even more difficult.

“Companies invest in Colombia because no more than 47,000 workers are covered by collective agreements,” said Raul Requena who heads UNI Development. The department currently has four projects that cover Colombia and neighbouring countries and one exclusively focused on Colombia.



UNI's Philip Jennings with Swedish Ambassador Lena Nordström

The UNI mission met Swedish ambassador Lena Nordström - herself a member of a Swedish union - and her colleagues to discuss ways of increasing dialogue in a very polarised country.

Swedish unions and the Swedish development organisation are funding many of UNI’s projects in the region and the Swedish government has been closely involved in international efforts to promote dialogue and labour rights in Colombia.



A proposed free trade agreement between the United States and Colombia has been put on ice until after the US presidential elections with Colombia’s labour record a key issue in the debate. Barack Obama has voiced his concerns at the proposed agreement in the run up to the elections.

“Free trade agreements pay too much attention to multinationals and investment and too little attention to the rights of working people and their ability to benefit from trade,” UNI’s Jim Sauber told the media. “The ability of working people to share in economic growth has been lacking.”