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National Union
of Agroindustry Workers
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URGENT
PRESS RELEASE
Threats against the Ministry’s envoy to the conflict at
the Palo Alto palm establishment
Municipal authorities allow entry of strikebreakers
SINTRAINAGRO’s
National Committee has informed that the collective
conflict situation arisen at the oil palm company
Inversiones Palo Alto Gnecco Espinosa & Cía. S. en C.,
in the county of Pueblo Viejo, province of Magdalena,
has become seriously worse.
The Ministry of Social Protection appointed a
group of representatives led by the chief of the
Registry and Control Unit – Ms. Luz Stella Veira,
L.D. – to participate in rapprochement meetings, to be
held on January 28th and 29th between representatives
from both SINTRAINAGRO and the firm
Inversiones Palo Alto.
Ms. Veira has reported threats received for
fulfilling her institutional obligation of traveling to
the city of Santa Marta in search of a conciliated
agreement for negotiation. This, in addition to the fact
that the company’s representatives are not willing to
accept the presence of unions, and thus reject the start
of negotiations towards the Petitions Document.
On Friday (29th) there was an instance that involved the
Governor of Magdalena and the Mayor of Pueblo Viejo,
who, in combination with the Ministry of Social
Protection and the Union, insisted on the company’s
legal obligation to start the collective bargaining.
Despite this fact, the company’s legal counsel and
administrator refused to accept the negotiation process
anyway.
The Mayor of the municipality of Pueblo Viejo informed
the Union that, jointly with the National Police, he had
granted permission for allowing access into the
establishment to a group of new workers, something that
implies a flagrant breach of the right to association
and collective bargaining, and comes to prove the
complicity of this local authority with the
entrepreneurs, oriented at protecting the latter’s
radical and negative position in regards to the start of
negotiations.
The argument most repeated at the meetings held is
clearly based on the events of violence and illegal
armed intimidation which are common practice in the
region, so we consider this situation as an attempt
to terrorize workers and to force the Union to
relinquish its claim for respect to the legitimate and
constitutional right to carry out its activities
relative to collective bargaining and organization.
We must say that, if the purpose of the municipal
authority and the employers of bringing the collective
conflict to an end with the presence of new workers and
police forces is finally implemented against the unitary
resistance of the organized workers, then the situation
could lead to serious violence.
If this were to be the outcome, the government
authorities, along with the State’s task forces should
be held directly responsible for it, due to their
negligence and complicity with corporate interests,
despite the fact that the issue is well known by the
Vice-president of the Republic of Colombia, as well as
by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the National Police
Headquarters and the Regional Police Unit of Magdalena.
We urgently appeal to the Workers’ Central Union of
Colombia (CUT), the International Union of Food
workers (IUF), and all local and international
union movements to strengthen efforts being made before
the national government, as well as the ILO
office in Colombia to intervene in search of a
peaceful solution by providing protection for the
application of international agreements.
Signed on behalf of the National Committee,
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ADELA TORRES VALOY
General Secretary |
HERNÁN CORREA
President (E) |
Apartadó, 30 january 2010
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