Violence, impunity undermine facade of human rights progress: Colombian labor unions

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Colombia Reports

Violence, impunity undermine facade of human rights progress: Colombian labor unions
Monday, 30 May 2011 07:11
Tom Heyden

Colombian labor union leaders have rejected government claims that human rights and trade unionist protection has improved, denigrating symbolic gestures aimed at securing the U.S. free trade agreement, which they say will help multinational companies over Colombian workers.

Interior and Justice Minister German Vargas Lleras announced on May 16 that Colombia had complied with the requisite of ensuring safety for union leaders and hoped that the U.S.-Colombian FTA will go through shortly, coinciding with consistent proclamations from the current administration that have sought to demarcate Santos’ government from that of former President Alvaro Uribe.

Francisco Ramirez Cuellar, the president of labor union Sintraminercol-Funtraenergetica, rejected the notion of any human rights progress in Colombia and insisted that the situation has instead deteriorated, explaining how a manipulation of the figures allows the government to present a hollow picture of progress.

“25 years ago when there were 14% of workers affiliated to trade unions,” he told Colombia Reports, “on average a trade unionist was murdered every 3 days. Although the number of deaths has ‘fallen’ in comparison...the government does not make note of the fact that the rate of unionization has fallen to 3.9%.”

Read more: http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/16602-violence-impunity-undermine-facade-of-human-rights-progress-colombian-labor-unions.html