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Speaking last week, Veronica Fernandez Mendez, Head of UNI Equal Opportunities Department pledged “continued and continuous support to our trade union sisters in Colombia. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with you until human and trade union rights are respected and you can live in freedom from fear. The international spotlight stays on Colombia and that international spotlight is now focussed on any multinational that exploits workers.”



UNI World Women’s Committee met in Bogota, Colombia on 6 and 7 April 2011.



Women from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Panama, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA and UK were joined by women from the 13 unions in Colombia that are affiliated to UNI Global Union.



The decision to meet in Colombia was to show support and solidarity with our trade union sisters and brothers in Colombia – the most dangerous place on earth to be a trade unionist.



UNI World Women’s Committee heard moving accounts of atrocities committed against trade unionists and their families – and against the people of Colombia:



· Mothers and fathers murdered

· Families threatened

· Children threatened

· Torture

· Rape

· Forced disappearances

· People displaced from their land so companies can invest

· People murdered for claiming their land back



We are appalled at the level of impunity for crimes against trade unionists – with 98% of crimes going unpunished. This is wholly unacceptable. We refute the findings that trade union murders are crimes of passion. We believe that paramilitary groups and government officials have ordered and carried out many of these murders. We commit to international solidarity to support the trade unionists in Colombia. We will ensure that our governments keep Colombia in the spotlight.



In his inauguration speech, President Juan Manuel Santos promised that his government would have a “firm and unwavering commitment” to human rights but the reality of human rights has not changed.

So far this year 4 union leaders and 2 rural leaders have been murdered.



We heard of weak labour laws:

· unions exterminated and undermined

· collective bargaining removed at a stroke

UNI World Women’s Committee firmly believe that an effective trade union movement is a key component of a democracy and a key contributor to the economic health of a country. We demand that the government of Colombia abide by the ILO conventions on human rights and trade union rights.



We heard of exploitation by multi-national companies:

· Companies closed

· People unemployed

We commit to ensure that those multinationals are brought to account for their behaviour in Colombia. We will ensure that their exploitation is subject to the full glare of publicity.

We demand that the government pledge to create decent jobs, jobs with justice, to raise the people out of poverty



A co-founder of the organisation “Sons and Daughters Against Impunity” told of her experiences when her father was murdered, how the family had to move five times in less than two years due to death threats. She thanks international solidarity for helping her and her family. Asked what she wanted for the future for Colombia, she said “a country of law where there are no murders, where rights are written in the constitution and that constitution is upheld and that no more young people will have to live like I did, with parents running scared for their lives”.

We applaud her commitment to the people of Colombia and we commit to help her to achieve this aspiration.



We heard a report on INICIATIVA DE MUJERES COLOMBIANAS POR LA PAZ, the Colombian Women’s Peace Initiative (INP) - an alliance of women and women’s organisations from different sectors, including rural communities, Afro-Colombian people, indigenous peoples and trade unionists - who proposed the initiative.

INP promotes meetings of women participating in political negotiations and works to lessen the impact of armed conflict on women and it provides support to victims. It wants truth and reparation and works for public policy at regional and national level related to victims and to building peace.



UNI World Women’s Committee welcomes this initiative and wishes INP all success in its work.



We heard the importance of international solidarity and we commit to continuing international solidarity until the people of Colombia can live their lives without fear.