Pro-Union Study Blasts Colombia

Murders, Violation of Rights Cited

Kylene Kiang

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

June 16, 2006

 Colombia remains the deadliest country in the world to be a trade union member, a study released Thursday on Colombian labor and human rights violations found.

In the past 20 years, 4,000 Colombian union members have been killed. While the number of killings has recently decreased, cases of anti-union violence and intimidation have risen in Colombia, the report said. Last year alone, 70 union members were assassinated.

Bob Perillo of the U.S./ Labor Education in the Americas Project and the study's lead author, noted that seven out of 10 trade unionists in the world are murdered in Colombia.

"It is impossible for workers in Colombia to exercise their core labor rights," Perillo said. He added that the culture of anti-union violence on the part of the Colombian government is a major impediment to improving labor rights.

The report was released Thursday by the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center. Officials with the Colombian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Already put in danger from a four-decades-long civil war, Colombian union workers face threats from employers, paramilitary forces, guerrillas and even state security forces. Imagine being afraid to discuss poor working conditions, low wages or simply exercising the right to join a union, said AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez Thompson. "You [would] run the risk of being labeled a subversive."

The Colombian government has consistently failed to investigate murders of union members, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said during a news conference for the AFL-CIO.

Colombian labor and human rights issues have been "largely unaddressed" by the U.S. government, she added.

"Instead, the U.S. supports a military that continues to attack trade unionists and collaborates with paramilitary terrorists, and, in essence, supports a policy of impunity," Schakowsky said.

Meeting at White House

The report comes a day after Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's meeting Wednesday with President Bush at the White House to discuss security, human rights issues and a free trade agreement that would reduce tariffs on Colombian imports.

Schakowsky said the United States should not reward Colombia --- a country where labor laws are not strongly enforced --- with such a trade deal.

"Implementation of the FTA [free trade agreement] will facilitate the perpetuation of the status quo or worse."

U.S. aid should not be funneled to Colombian military efforts, but instead to investigating and prosecuting the murderers of union activists, Schakowsky said.

The report was a way to initiate a series of proposals to address the obstacles union workers face in Colombia.

Activists target Coke

Among multinational companies targeted for complicity in the union violence, or not doing enough to counter it, is Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. It has been the target of activists protesting allegations that the company was involved in anti-union murders at its bottling plant in Carepa, Colombia.

In July 2001, Coca-Cola was sued in a Miami federal court by Colombian union members who alleged the company either knew about or was involved in the attacks and murders of union members. The suit was dismissed in 2003.

Dole Foods Inc. and U.S. coal firm Drummond Co. were also cited in the study for impeding workers' right of assembly.

Conversely, Chiquita Brands has been lauded by labor activists for pledging in 2002 to guarantee Colombian banana workers' rights.

"The U.S. labor movement must look beyond our borders," said Charlie Key, secretary-treasurer of the Georgia AFL-CIO. "We cannot as trade unionists only be concerned with our local communities."

Study author Perillo said Coca-Cola stands to "benefit economically from the current conditions" if workers are not able to readily unionize.

When asked whether it would be appropriate for local and state officials to criticize Coca-Cola, Key responded, "Politically it would be real difficult.

"The labor fight's a tough fight in the South. The only difference is that no one's been killed."

Coca-Cola, which repeatedly has denied any responsibility for the murders, said it is committed to "upholding the highest labor standards and workplace practices in Colombia" and other sites.

"Through both collective bargaining agreements and their own initiative, Coca-Cola bottlers in Colombia work with unions and the government to provide emergency cellphones, transportation to and from work, secure housing, and a host of other measures to protect employees and union leaders," said a statement from the company.

Next month, Coca-Cola will sponsor an international business leaders forum that will bring together concerned people from government, non-governmental organizations, community and business to discuss ways to alleviate the tension in Colombia.