The Colombian labor movement has been working hard through its trade union federations -CUT, CTC and CGT- to accompany the process of international labor unity, which is being forged through the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Next March, Panama will host the constituent congress of the ITUC for the Americas, which will replace the Inter-American Regional Organization of Workers (ORIT) and the Latin American Confederation of Workers (CLAT).

 

The unification processes in the region are aimed at putting an end to the pervading union dispersion, by establishing a single union federation per country. These efforts are essential to strengthen the labor movement so that it can take on the great challenges it faces. However, these processes are threatened by a long-standing culture marked by sectarianism and political shortsightedness.

 

In the United Workers’ Federation (CUT), just to mention our national parent organization, as we are members of SINTRAINAGRO, an ambitious project is underway, supported by Swedish, German, Danish and Dutch labor organizations, among others. The goal is to form 16 large unions, one for each industry or branch of activity. In this way, the labor movement seeks to leave behind its current structure, which is fragmented into a total of 2,700 unions, and work towards implementing collective bargaining processes by branch of industry, replicating SINTRAINAGRO’s experience in the banana industry, which is the only case in Colombia where an Agreement has been reached for a large number of companies, as it applies to over 230 banana producers.

 

However, these ambitious and positive proposals for the labor movement are destined to fail, as simultaneously there are many who continue to support archaic models that turn unions into activating devices for political parties, and who have no qualms in displaying their lack of political discipline and even their shameless disobedience to the sovereignly and democratically adopted decisions of the CUT Congress. Neither are we learning from our current situation, as in Colombia only 4 percent of workers are unionized, and the labor movement urgently needs to grow, but must do so under a process of unification, because growth cannot be attained through “union pillaging.”

 

In the past few months, SINTRAINAGRO has had to devote resources and efforts, from both leaders and worker committees, to stop the offensive waged by Fensuagro –also a CUT member– who is attempting to destabilize our organization in the banana and palm sector of the Department of Magdalena, through a slandering and discrediting campaign, in an attempt to form new unions with workers members of SINTRAINAGRO.

The CUT must react against this with political responsibility and authority, to put an end to these harmful practices, carried out by those who look with disdain on the unity and strengthening of Colombia’s labor movement.

 

Lastly, attention must be called to the huge difficulties that persist in overcoming old and damaging practices within the labor movement, which are being used by management and the Ministry of Social Protection to promote what they claim is a new trade union federation, but which would support the government’s antiunion policies and the signing of the FTA with the United States.

 

As the saying goes: “In troubled waters, there’s good fishing.”