Our bus leaves the hotel at 7am to take us to the headquarters of the Colombian equivalent of the TUC (the CUT) for a breakfast meeting with the Vice President and members of the executive to hear an overview of the problems facing trade unionists in Colombia before going on to meet with individual trade unions. There are 860,000 trade union members in Colombia around 5% of workers. The most striking aspect of the CUT office is the metal bomb proofing in which it is entirely covered. Security, as you can imagine, is extensive.
We are told of the para-political scandal that is unfolding with 35 Members of Parliament being called before the Supreme Court (34 of whom are members of the ruling coalition parties). Amongst the accusations they are facing are electoral fraud, murder and intimidation. The view of CUT is that the country is presided over by an illegitimate government with even the former head of DAS (the state security organisation) in prison. Since a new constitution was instigated in 1991, 2900 trade unionists have been murdered, 537 of them since President Uribe's election in 2002 with 21 assassinations having taken place so far this year. We hear of the Justice and Peace process, not dissimilar to the Truth and Reconciliation process in South Africa, which is intended to give immunity to the perpetrators of injustices in return for uncovering what really happened. CUT's view is that the process so far has given immunity to the perpetrators but brought no justice, closure or reparations to the victims as intended.
The issue of impunity is raised again whereby the perpetrators of the most terrible criminal acts of torture and murder amongst others, commit such acts in the sure knowledge that nothing will be done about it. CUT tell us that at meetings they have with the government over the issue, they appear less and less interested. The reality is that of the 2900 murders of trade unionists since 1991 there have only ever been 35 court cases with 89 convictions.
Colombia has a population of 43 million people, 20 million of whom are economically active. 28 million live below the poverty level with 9 million in absolute poverty. Workers rights are now non-existent and Free Trade Agreement proposed by the USA would only exacerbate matters in favour of big business at the expense of the workers. In concluding CUT asked for our support to take the matter of halting violation of human rights in Colombia to the international community. We are all determined to do what we can.
Our bus then takes us to the headquarters of FEDOCE, the teachers union and by far the largest affiliate to CUT. Fedoce has had more members murdered than any other trade union even on a proportional basis, 36 last year and 14 so far this year. But that´s not the only threat to teachers. Many are forced to flee their homes leaving behind families and jobs and are not offered new positions. Under Uribe there is a complete lack of workers rights. Every strike since his election has been declared illegal, every single one. New teachers being employed in the profession are offered a different contract with inferior terms and conditions and with a one-year probation period which makes them reluctant to join the union. JFC, the ATL, NASUWT, NUT and Thompson's solicitors are currently funding a project to assist in recruiting and organising these new teachers.
Upon leaving I am interviewed by Colombian TV who ask the purpose of our visit. I explain that in Britain we have heard of terrible human rights abuses particularly against trade unionists and that we had come to hear testimony from victims themselves and to speak with our trade union colleagues in Colombia. "An injury to one is an injury to all", I say.
Our next meeting is at the headquarters of ANTHOC, the health workers union who have brought along some of their members to tell us the human rights abuses they have suffered. The overview of the situation is the one that CUT and the teachers gave us. Increasing privatisation of services means the targeting of workers fighting to defend their rights. One woman told us that she was forced to flee to Venezuela after receiving death threats leaving behind her two sons who were held hostage before subsequently facing harassment and intimidation from para-military forces. Her bank account had also been frozen which proved collaboration between the Para-military forces and the state. Her father and her two brothers had all been murdered by the same people for their political activity in the Patriotic Union, the forerunner of today´s opposition, the Democratic Pole. With the help of ANTHOC she had returned to Colombia and taken up residence in Bogota, hundreds of miles from her home, but her two sons had managed to escape and join her.
For the first time we see real emotion and tears from one of the victims. But she finishes her tale with defiance saying that she will fight on and they will never break her. What bravery! We hear form others but I´ll relate just one. A woman in the south of the country who worked in a hospital for 36 years organised and led a strike because the authorities had failed to pay the workers for eight months. She was threatened by the para-militaries and ordered to leave the area. She was the victim of an assassination attempt. Five shots were fired. One went through the side of her neck and came out the back and another went through her right breast and also came out her back. She was one of the lucky ones. She has a disabled 83 year-old husband and two disabled sons. She had no choice but to flee leaving her house behind. She now lives in poverty in a small flat in Bogota. Hearing these testimonies time after time really is heartrending but they are told with such detachment and bravery that it’s difficult to express one´s admiration for the courage shown in such adversity.
We take our bus back to the hotel for lunch with the leadership of FENSUAGRO, the union whose Congress we had attended in Cali the previous day, and with Aidee Moreno, its head of Human Rights; who gave us a presentation over lunch on the human rights situation in rural Colombia. It is all depressingly familiar. JFC, UNITE (T&G section) and Thompson's solicitors are currently funding the work of the human rights department of FENSUARGO, in particular efforts to free unjustly imprisoned members of the union. So far 15 have been freed.
The afternoon is spent in meeting with leaders of the public sector trade union FENALTRASSE and with the leadership of the chemical, metal and mining workers federation FUMRAMINERGETICA/SINTRAIME. I would only be repeating myself if I gave details of those meetings but the message we received from the Colombian trade union movement was loud and clear. Yes, you intimidate us and our families, yes you displace us and murder our leaders but you will not break us. For every leader you murder 10 will take their place and we will, in the end, see justice in our country.
Day finishes at 7pm and evening is spent in hotel after dinner.
