The International Centre for Trade Union Rights

BULLETIN 7: COLOMBIA, 29 April 2003

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

During the past two weeks ICTUR has received the following reports from Colombia, including serious violations of trade union rights:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

7 April: Evelio German Salcedo Taticuan, an officer of the local teacher trade union, SIMANÁ-FECODE, was assassinated in Pasto, the capital city of Nariño Department. He was walking to his house when he was killed by two men who shot him twice.

14 April: A court in Alabama, USA, has accepted that the legal case brought by the Colombian miners’ union, SINTRAMIENERGÉTICA, against mining company, Drummond Corporation, can proceed in US courts. The case, launched after the murder by paramilitaries of the trade union leaders Valmore Locarno, Victor Hugo Orcasita and Gustavo Soler, is based upon principles of international law and is actionable in the US legal system under the provisions of the Alien Tort Claims Act. More details concerning this case, and analysis of the relationship between paramilitary forces, the Colombian state and the operations of multinational corporations will be examined in future editions of the ICTUR Colombia Newsletter. The latest judgement is available for consultation on the International Labor Rights Fund website (www.laborrights.org).

16 April: Livio Tito, an active member of the Pasto Branch of SINTRAUNICOL, the University Workers Union, was assassinated in Pasto, the capital city of Nariño department, bordering Ecuador in Colombia's south west.

21 April: Private contractors, hired by Interim Director Alfonso Potes, took advantage of the holiday period to enter the administrative offices of the EMCALI corporation in the CAM tower in order to remove the workers' personnel records. On Easter Sunday EMCALI workers found private contractors with 29 boxes packed with the personnel records of the more than three thousand EMCALI workers. The contractors were transporting the records to Bogotá. The SINTRAEMCALI union leaders complain that this incident infringed on the right to privacy and constituted an abuse of authority as well as an arbitrary and unjust act. They said that this was one more case of persecution against the workers and is directly related with President ALVARO URIBE VELEZ's intention to liquidate and privatise EMCALI.

28 April: The trade union workers of Ministry of Health and Social Protection, began a national protest following the announcement of the Colombian government to privatise all public hospitals, which will lead to the dismissal of the workers. The president of the trade union, Aldo Cadena, said that 110,000 health workers are taking part in this strike, and that 90 per cent of the 3,000 public health centres of the country are affected by the strike. He added that during the strike emergency health service and medical assistance to inpatients will be guaranteed.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ICTUR has written to the Colombian authorities to protest against the continuing violations of trade union rights. ICTUR calls for an end to the aggression and insists that the authorities implement and ensure full respect for the international legal standards that protect freedom of association.

For more information contact ICTUR: miguel@ictur.org

If you want to take action in support of these cases you can send letters of protest to the Colombian authorities at the following addresses:

President of the Republic of Colombia
Dr. Alvaro Uribe Velez
Palacio de Narino, Carrera 8 No.7-26 Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: + 57 1 3375890 / 3420592
E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co; rdh@presidencia.gov.co

Vicepresident of the Republic of Colombia
Francisco Santos - Consejeria Presidential de Derechos Humanos
Calle 7, No 6-54, Piso 3 Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 00 57 1 337 1351 E-mail: mdn@cable.net.co; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co; siden@mindefensa.gov.co

Minister of the Interior and Justice
Fernando Londono Hoyos Ministerio del Interior y Justicia
Palacio Echeverry, Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o., Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax:00 57 1 286 8025 E-mail: mininterior@myrealbox.com

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

END
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

To receive the ICTUR Colmbia urgent action bulletin by email every fortnight please enter your email address below and click 'submit', or email us directly on ictur@ictur.org.