TUC sets Colombian Ambassador straight on ILO decision to condemn trade union rights violations

Solidarity with Colombian trade unions

ILO decisions

17 June 2010

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has comprehensively rebutted the Colombian Ambassador's bizarre claim that the ILO Conference which has just concluded has exonerated Colombia's appalling human rights record. The ILO in fact decided to send a High Level Tripartite Mission to Colombia, which it only does where substantial violations of ILO standards are taking place.

The letter follows:

Ambassador Mauricio Rodríguez Múnera
Embassy of Colombia
3 Hans Crescent
London SW1X OLN

Dear Ambassador

ILO decisions on Colombia

Thank you for your letter of 9 June concerning Colombia and the ILO. Your interpretation of the decision not to list Colombia for discussion at the Committee on Application of Standards is wildly at odds with the reality of the discussion that took place and the decisions that were taken.

The Committee of Experts Report features multiple cases which show the Colombia is still very far from compliance with key ILO standards. In addition the ILO took the decision to sanction Colombia by sending a High Level Tripartite Mission to the country. Such Missions are sent only to countries where trade union rights are being violated.

The very fact that the Colombian regime has accepted a visit by a High Level Tripartite Mission implies that the Colombian State accepts that it has not complied with ILO requirements in a satisfactory way. Your letter disregards this and instead implies an improvement in the situation; yet at no point has the ILO indicated that the issues of human rights and freedom of association in Colombia have been solved.

We welcome the decision to send a High Level Mission which we believe will help to highlight the ongoing serious violations of labour and trade union rights in your country.

Already this month the TUC has written to you twice (on 7 and 14 June) about murders of trade unionists in your country and, with 40 union activists having already been murdered this year, the fact remains that Colombia is still the most dangerous country on earth in which to belong to a trade union. Furthermore, the rate of impunity for those who assassinate trade unionists remains at 97% indicating that your Government is simply allowing those responsible for the murders to escape punishment.

It is therefore clear that the Colombian Government has not complied with the standards, observations and recommendations of the ILO.

This reality does not change because this year Colombia is not on the list of cases discussed by the Committee on Application of Standards - there are many breaches of ILO standards every year, and the Committee simply cannot discuss all of them. Efforts by the Colombian authorities to conceal this reality with declarations that contradict the facts do nothing to ease the concerns of the international trade union movement about the situation in your country.

I look forward to hearing from you as to why the Colombian Government believes the ILO has decided to impose the special sanction of a High Level Tripartite Mission on your country if it is not due to the ongoing violations of labour rights.

Yours sincerely

BRENDAN BARBER

General Secretary