|
Press Release
Colombia’s Ministry of Social Protection fines the companies
SEATECH International and A Tiempo Servicios
Ltda.
On Tuesday,
May 17, by resolution no. 170, Colombia’s Ministry of Social
Protection, acting in Cartagena, found the companies
SEATECH INTERNACIONAL INC, and A TIEMPO SERVICOS LTDA. in
breach of workday regulations. The companies were fined,
respectively, with 15 days worth of minimum wages
(8,034,000.00 Colombian pesos), and 20 days worth of minimum
wages (10,712,000.00 Colombian pesos). The decision was made
in response to a complaint filed by the Food Industry
Workers’ Union (USTRIAL) on December 13, 2010, and
the money collected will go to the National Learning Service
(SENA).
In its
resolution the Ministry declared that the companies had
failed to produce “the authorization issued by the Ministry
allowing them to require their workers to work overtime,
copies of the files registering the number of hours of
overtime worked, and a copy of files indicating entrance and
exit hours for operators working at Seatech.”
USTRIAL
filed a complaint with the Ministry in the month of December
2011, denouncing a situation that it is public knowledge in
Cartagena, as workers are repeatedly forced to extend their
workdays past 5:00 p.m., thus working impossibly long hours,
with the ensuing increase in the number of workers suffering
from carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis and other
occupational diseases or conditions that are irreversible.
Last week, the
people of Cartagena and Colombians in general witnessed the
peaceful mobilization of USTRIAL workers to the
Ministry of Social Protection’s Cartagena offices, and this
resolution is part of the commitments secured over a month
ago.
The union is
still awaiting resolutions in other complaints, which have
to do with the failure to provide copies of work contracts;
the illegal closing of Seatech on August 12, leading
to the dismissal of all the workers affiliated to USTRIAL
who suffered no work impediments; the company’s refusal to
sit down with the union and negotiate the list of demands;
and the violation of the workers’ freedom of association and
right to unionize.
We call on all
labor organizations and on the general public to continue
supporting USTRIAL’s struggle to defend trade union
and collective bargaining rights.
GOVERNING COMMITTEE
|
FREDIS MARRUGO V.
President |
PEDRO
LONDOÑO M.
Secretary |
Cartagena, May 2011.
|
