Will Colombia's Protesting Workers be Heard?
As former GM workers stitch their lips in protest, we
ask if a trade deal with the US is behind worker
exploitation.

Inside Story Americas
al Jazeera
August 22, 2012

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2012/08/201282244939753622.html

At the beginning of this month a group of former General
Motors (GM) workers stitched their lips shut and began a
hunger strike in the Colombian capital, Bogota. They had
already spent over a year outside the US embassy with no
success in fighting against what they said was their unfair
dismissal.

The protestors say GM has fired more than 200 employees after
they reported on-the-job injuries, including herniated discs,
carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, at the company's
Colombian plant.

In addition, they say the US car company refused to provide
any compensation to the workers and erased medical records to
bolster its legal case.

The US car maker, which started operating in Colombia 50 years
ago and now has more than 1,800 employees in the country,
denies the allegations and says it has never put the health of
any employee at risk, nor discharged anyone for health
reasons.

The protest is focusing attention on worker's rights in
Colombia following the implementation of a long-delayed free
trade agreement with the US earlier this year. One of the US'
prerequisites for passing the agreement was to enact a Labour
Action Plan aimed at curtailing abuses of workers' rights.

But some argue that such free trade agreements often result in
worse conditions for workers. And critics say little has
changed in a country regarded as the most dangerous in the
world to be a member of a trade union.

In 2011, 29 trade unionists were murdered and 480 injured in
violent attacks.

When contacted by Al Jazeera, GM issued a statement saying:
"GM emphasises a safety-first culture in all of our facilities
around the world. As one of the first companies to adopt the
Global Sullivan Principles, we also have been recognised for
the quality of working conditions that exist in all of our
operations. That's why we are interested in learning more
about the ongoing safety allegations of a few, former GM
Colmotores employees. A team of GM representatives - all of
whom have deep experience spanning labour, manufacturing and
management issues - traveled to Colombia to better understand
and address the situation."

But Frank Hammer, a former GM employee and former
representative of the US-based United Autoworkers Union (UAW)
told Al Jazeera that the UAW supports the Colombian workers
and was opposed to the free trade agreement and urged "the
whole labour movement ... to step up to the plate".

On this episode of Inside Story Americas we ask: Are the
rights of workers in Colombia adequately protected?

[Watch video - http://aje.me/NgllCj]

Joining the discussion with presenter Shihab Rattansi are
guests: Austin Robles, from Witness for Peace International
who has been working with the GM protestors in Colombia; David
Bacon, a journalist who specializes in international labour
issues; and Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, a senior associate for the
Andes region for the Washington Office on Latin America.

"GM has refused to negotiate any sort of resolution
with the protesters which means that since they're
unable to find jobs elsewhere, they don't have money
to support their families and they're going to starve
to death."

Austin Robles from Witness for Peace International

===

US-COLOMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (FTA):

    * The agreement eliminates 80 per cent of tariffs on trade
    between the two countries with immediate effect and phases
    out the rest over the next decade.

    * Supporters say it will expand US product exports by more
    than $1bn and create thousands of new jobs in the US and
    Colombia.

    * Critics argue that Colombia's poorest could be hurt by
    the deal. The country's agriculture ministry says the FTA
    will eliminate 35 per cent of jobs in the sector and allow
    corporations to skirt environmental laws, which is of
    particular concern since the Amazon Rainforest makes up
    1/3 of the country.

    * Also of concern is Colombia's record of violence against
    unionized workers. Nearly 3,000 trade unionists have been
    killed in the last 25 years, but only six per cent of
    those accused have been prosecuted.

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