Four international trade unionists expelled by Colombian government!

Oppose this attempt to cover up murder and repression!

Information in this alert comes from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. Visit their web page at www.global-unions.org.
Posted November 6, 2004

Four international union representatives were expelled from Colombia by the government of Alvaro Uribe on October 30th and November 1st. The Uribe government has drawn up a list of trade union representatives banned from entering the country which includes persons who took part in an international solidarity mission to Colombia in September to press the Uribe government to bring an end to the killing of Colombian trade trade unionists and the other means of anti-union repression which are rife in the country. [See the report of the September Solidarity Conference organized by the ICFTU and the World Confederation of Labour] Colombia has had a notorious record of violence and discrimination against trade unionists over many years, with more than 50 trade unionists murdered already this year. In Brussels , Belgium , the international trade union movement expressed its outrage at the expulsion of the four international union representatives.

The four, Victor Baez Mosqueira, General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions regional organization for the Americas ICFTU-ORIT, Antonio Rodriguez Fritz (International Transport Workers' Federation), Rodolfo Benitez (Union Network International) and Cameron Duncan (Public Services International), were due to attend an Americas region trade union coordination meeting. Immigration officials detained them on arrival in the country and expelled them, in contradiction to Colombia 's normal visa entry requirements. Three of them had taken part in a meeting with President Uribe during the September solidarity mission, where the President assured the delegation of his government's full commitment to trade union rights, and thanked them for their interest in the situation inside the country.

In another development, union leaders from Great Britain , Ireland and Spain who had arrived in Colombia to attend a meeting of women trade unionists had their 60-day visas cancelled and were permitted to stay only three days in the country.

The ICFTU and its Global Unions partners are writing to formally protest to President Uribe at his government's actions, which constitute a "totally unacceptable attempt to deny Colombian workers their legitimate right to international representation", according to ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder, who added "the Colombian government has a responsibility to protect trade unionists from violence and intimidation and to ensure that fundamental rights, enshrined in International Labor Organization Conventions, are fully respected. This action by the government is entirely in the wrong direction, and we call upon President Uribe to restore the right of entry to all those affected, and to face up to its obligations under international law".

The expulsion of the trade union leaders will also be brought formally to the International Labor Organization, which is this week examining a number of complaints from the trade union movement over violations of freedom of association in the country.

Global Unions' member organizations in countries around the world will also be raising the case with their national governments, and with intergovernmental and regional bodies including the European Union. Meetings with the Colombian Ambassadors in Brussels , Geneva and other cities are also being sought.