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The elections, held in 57 stores across 20 cities, were the first in the country for Carrefour, which entered the Colombian market 15 years ago.



“Friday was a huge day in Colombian labour history,” said UNI Global Union General Secretary Philip Jennings. “This is a step to change the culture of violence in the country and create a new path forward.”



Carrefour workers elected store representatives and the union’s national board. About 70 percent of the union members took part in the election and over 400 new members joined on Friday so they could take part in the vote.



"We didn’t just get a big vote turnout but we also signed up a lot of new members,” said union president Luz Marina Díaz. “Our dream is that this vote is not just helping our union but also all Colombian workers.”



The Carrefour Colombia Workers’ Organisation was formed in 2011 after UNI launched a major organising drive, signing up thousands of workers. UNI and Carrefour have a global agreement and this constructive relationship laid the foundation for the vote in Colombia.



UNI Americas Regional Secretary Adriana Rosenzvaig travelled to Colombia to observe the voting. She credited young union members with getting such high turnout.



“I was extremely impressed by the enthusiasm, energy and solidarity of many of the young workers, who quickly learned the ropes like seasoned activists after just 3 months as union members,” she said. “Their activity is building a strong union at Carrefour Colombia that will help them and their co-workers create a strong base for collective bargaining and protecting their rights on the job.”



The union will begin the collective bargaining process with company representatives in early March. When bargaining starts on March 5, a representative from French union FO-France and UNI Americas President Ruben Cortina will attend the opening discussions.