UNI celebrate's Carrefour Colombia union's 1st collective agreement
This agreement has come after tremendous efforts by the Union of Carrefour Colombia Workers (UTCC), the Escuela Nacional Sindical and UNI to win organising and collective bargaining rights for thousands of Carrefour employees and fight the country’s culture of violence.
The UTCC was formed in 2011 on the basis of the Global Agreement signed by UNI Global Union and French multinational Carrefour. With the commitment of the company to recognise its Colombian employees’ rights, the workers moved with incredible speed and strength to build the union. Negotiations for the collective agreement started in late March and the agreement was signed in April.
On Thursday UNI Americas Regional Secretary Adriana Rosenzvaig and UNI Americas President Ruben Cortina were with the UTCC in Bogota as they held a public ceremony with Carrefour management, the Colombian Minister of Labour and representatives from the Vice President’s Office and the French and American Embassies.
“We welcome Carrefour's decision to publicly stand behind this agreement,” said UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings. “This shows that the Global Agreement with Carrefour has worked. If we continue to link our global work with our affiliates’ work, we can win more union rights for a new generation of Colombian workers.”
Jennings said UNI will build on this “breakthrough” by urging other multinationals that operate in Colombia and have signed Global Agreements with UNI to follow Carrefour’s example.
UNI has been working with all of its Colombian affiliates and the government to end the deadly attacks on trade unionists. The country has again won the dubious distinction of being the deadliest place on Earth for train unionists, according to the International Trade Union Confederation’s 2012 Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights.
“Colombia is still a dangerous place for trade unionists but we are working with our affiliates and the government to end the culture of violence,” said UNI Americas Regional Secretary Adriana Rosenzvaig. “We will stand in solidarity with our Colombian sisters and brothers until we win this fight for union and human rights. This agreement is a great first step that we will use to build a new culture of respect in Colombia.”