Colombia union denounces FTA while attacks on unionists continue .
Colombia union denounces FTA while attacks on unionists continue .
Wednesday, 30 January 2013 11:47 Narayan Buckley
The Colombian government continues to ignore major human rights violations, raising serious doubts about Colombia's readiness for free trade agreements, claimed Colombia's largest trade union on Wednesday.
"We declare that in Colombia the rights of workers continue to be violated...in 2012, 18 unionists were assassinated, 220 disappeared and during the government of (President Juan Manuel) Santos we have received 953 threats. This worries us because violence against trade unions is growing, and yet the government still says Colombia is ready for free trade agreements, even though (the) human rights (of trade unionists) continue to be violated", Alberto Vanegas Zuluaga, the Central Confederation of Workers' (CUT) director of human rights, told Colombia Reports.
In June of 2012, the European Parliament approved a resolution stating that Colombia must improve its human and labor rights situation before it would pass the pending FTA. They ratified the agreement six months later. Vanegas' condemnation comes amid strong indications that Colombia's congress will soon implement an impending FTA with the European Union.
"We have raised a labor agenda with [the government of] Juan Manuel Santos but they have yet to either respond or pay attention to our proposals," said Vanegas.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/27932-colombia-union-denounces-fta-while-attacks-on-unionists-continue.html