Colombia

Nine days after the strike was called off in all banana plantations of the Uraba region, workers are deepening their action. After the massive demonstration in the municipality of Currulao, we held an interview with Pedraza, President of UNAC and member of the IUF Latin American Committee.

- How many workers have taken part in the demonstration?

- Around eight thousand people.

- What’s the people’s feeling?

-They are very enthusiastic; they trust union leadership and support the action taken by the negotiating committee. No hesitation is felt in connection with the union process. This demonstration, together with all others (massive ones) held in Apartadó, Turbo and Carepa show clear support to the negotiating committee of SINTRAINAGRO.

- Are people aware that accepting this corporate proposal in relation to taking workers on is equivalent to the disappearance of the trade union?

-Yes. According to the report submitted by the coordination officers, every time workers hold a demonstration they unanimously support the union stand of not accepting seasonal work and about the restrictions this would bring about for the union organization.

Also, it is worth noting that Augura (banana employers association) through its “Ventana Bananera” program, has stated that union interests are only economic.  However, workers know that the issue at stake is not a matter of salary and allowances, but mainly the type of working contracts. This is what has maintained people together.

- How do you see the intervention of the Ministry of Labor?

-The steps taken by the Ministry have been very positive. However, they have been unsuccessful in the face of the intransigent union stand.

Augura’s intention is not only to change the type of work contracts into seasonal type, by creating co-ops controlled by them in order to hire future seasonal workers, they shall also require workers to submit the Sisben certificates.  Sisben is a health system under the Colombian State subsidy for people in conditions of extreme poverty.  Employers here not only break the law because they ignore their obligation to enter workers into the social security system, but they also use a health service which is absolutely reserved for people under conditions of extreme poverty. This has been denounced this morning in Radio Caracol and RCN denounced it in the name of IUF and UNAC.

- They employ people and they require a certificate of poverty … Honest employers!

-The way they try to crush everything is impressive.

- How do you see the outcome of this situation?

-The National Association of Industrialists of Colombia has become the National Business Association, in order to increase their coverage and include the agricultural sector. They promote a policy in which unions are not accepted, they try by all means to get rid of collective bargaining. The banana employers association has taken this stand, which is also supported by the government, who, as employer itself has tried to break up the collective bargaining of oil workers and destroy their union.

Within the private sector we already know that the beverage and food sector unions are disappearing while a frontal battle against collective bargaining conventions has started.  Against this background, now it is the turn of SINTRAINAGRO, which is not only the major union of the agricultural sector, but also one of the three largest unions of the country.

Gerardo Iglesias

© Rel-UITA

4 June 2004