ICTU Delegation Report July 2014
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Justice for Colombia ICTU Delegation Report July 2014 Suggested price: £5/€5 or donation to Justice for Colombia Justice for Colombia (JFC) was It has supported many industrial disputes established in 2002 by the British trade over the years and has facilitated the union movement and since 2008 began funding of several projects with sister working with the Irish trade union organisations in Colombia, by pairing movement. Almost every British trade them with unions in the UK and Ireland. union is now affiliated. It was set up These include projects to support the primarily to show solidarity with Colombian rehabilitation of the families of trade trade unionists as a response to the unionists that have been tortured or violence they face as well as to campaign assassinated, to support the human for peace with social justice. rights work of the agricultural workers’ trade union, the organising work of the Since its founding, it has taken over oil workers’ union and to support the 250 trade unionists and politicians from opposition newspaper in Colombia. the UK, Ireland, other EU countries, the United States and Canada to Colombia to The most recent campaign surrounds see firsthand the trade union and human efforts to encourage a peace process in rights situation and the effects of the 60 Colombia and has involved JFC taking year conflict. high-profile cross-party delegations from Northern Ireland to Colombia to meet JFC also regularly brings delegations the President and Government peace from Colombia to the UK, Ireland and negotiators, and to Havana to meet other European countries. It has helped to the FARC negotiators in order to share secure the release of twenty one political experiences, as well as to Washington prisoners - imprisoned trade unionists to lobby for the US to support peace. and human rights activists – over the past The campaign has had a huge impact ten years and has provided humanitarian and has been groundbreaking in building assistance to thousands of others. international support for the peace It also led a long campaign against the process. EU/Colombia Free Trade Agreement in JFC is involved in lobbying work of which it managed to block the agreement Parliaments (and Governments) both in for four years. In 2009 and 2010 JFC the UK, Ireland, and Brussels and in the helped expose the existence of mass United States and Canada. This has led to graves in Colombia which led to the the establishment of the ‘Parliamentary identification of around 5000 bodies. Friends of Colombia Group’ in the UK After three years of campaigning against Parliament which now has over 80 MPs UK military assistance to Colombia and and Peers as members. JFC also has the EDM of 2008/9 with the highest cross-party groups in Stormont and the number signatures (of two thousand European Parliament. JFC is managed EDMs), JFC managed to secure a change from an office in Farringdon, in the of policy of the Labour Government which ASLEF building which kindly hosts it. stopped elements of the military aid The management committee is made up package. representatives of affiliated unions and the TUC. The TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady is the JFC President. Contents 3 Foreword 5 Introduction 8 Narrative 16 Conclusion 54 Appendix 1 58 Appendix 2 61 Appendix 3 63 Letter to the Negotiating Table 75 We acknowledge the photographs provided by Eric Byrne TD, Irish Labour Party Front Cover image illustrates the Campesinos campaign of civil disobedience by wrecking small bridges used by oil company tankers (see pages 30-32). 4 ‘Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world in which to be a trade unionist’ ICTU Delegation Visit Report July 2014 Foreword many cases – with both the military and major 5 multinational corporations. All this takes place under the auspices of an allegedly democratic government and modern This comment is one we have democratic state. heard repeatedly from our brothers It is difficult to convey the many testimonies and sisters active in trade unions in that we heard from trade unionists, campesino Colombia. farmers and fishing folk in an unemotional or detached manner. At successive delegate conferences and union gatherings, we have heard directly form All trade unions, trade union centres and pro- Colombian union activists of the horrors inflicted gressives across the globe should raise their upon their colleagues and the difficulties they voices in defence of the working people of face on a daily basis- for no other reason than Colombia, whose only crime is that they want to that they are trade unionists. live with dignity and decency. I am conscious that at times we in Congress can I wish to congratulate trade unionists in both find it difficult to process and fully appreciate the jurisdictions who have been actively engaged gravity of what we hear from our colleagues in in campaigning and lobbying on behalf of the that benighted country. people of Colombia. Let me assure you that all you have heard and Furthermore, I wish to congratulate those read in relation to the problems faced by trade politicians from all parties in Northern Ireland who unionists in Colombia, is entirely true. Indeed, have shared their experience of bringing peace as this report can attest, the reality is often more to that jurisdiction, with those involved in the brutal. Seeing really is believing. peace process in Colombia. As President of the Irish Congress of Trade Once again many thanks to all involved not just Unions. I visited Colombia with union colleagues in the most recent delegation, but also previous from Ireland, members of the TUC, parliamen- delegation visits by senior figures from Congress, tarians from both sides of the Irish border and particularly Jack O’Connor, Tom Geraghty, Jimmy Westminster to witness at first hand the reality of Kelly, Eugene McGlone, Brian Campfield and life for the majority in Colombia. Our delegation Patricia McKeown. was accompanied by members of the Lon- Finally, I wish to record my thanks to the don-based Justice for Colombia organisation. main author of this report – Assistant General I would request people to read this report Secretary Peter Bunting – and all those involved thoroughly and to share it as widely as possible. in its compilation and production, including It paints a bleak but comprehensive picture of Gillian Belch, John O‘Farrell and Macdara Doyle the scale of human rights abuses in Colombia and Paul McDonnell at Three Creative. and the impunity with which the abusers act and operate, most particularly the notorious right wing death squads that collaborate – openly in John Douglas, President, Irish Congress of Trade Unions May 2015 Introduction Congress Justice for Colombia 8 Justice for Colombia a peace process with social justice. Since 2007, JFC played a leading role in promoting prisoner Peace Campaign exchanges and hostage releases, actions which laid the ground work for conditions for peace talks. Peace talks between the FARC In 2009 it began building links with politicians from all parties in Northern Ireland in order to and Colombian Government build cross party support and lobby for a peace formally began in November process in Colombia and exchange useful experiences of a successful peace process. 2012 after six months of secret This was followed by visits of delegations from exploratory talks. A peace process Colombians for Peace and the Patriotic March with social justice is at the heart of to Belfast in 2011 and 2012 to learn about the Good Friday Agreement, meeting with political the trade union agenda; as they representatives of all parties and hosted by the believe that the violence will only trade union movement. stop when the root causes of the JFC’s work comes at a critical time as interna- conflict are resolved. tional scrutiny and support is invaluable to the safety of our colleagues, and is crucial if the Our trade union colleagues in Colombia and peace process is to be in any way successful. leading human rights campaigners who work under the banner of Colombians for Peace are The Northern Irish trade union’s contribution to responsible for having created the conditions for this campaign has played a fundamental role talks; having safely facilitated the release of the in helping us to expand and develop this work. remaining FARC hostages. The success and reach of this campaign has delivered a huge amount of profile to JFC and to Despite the talks, the danger for opposition and our Colombian partners. We have successfully peace activists has increased as many elements achieved our aim of building a cross-party group of the military and paramilitary oppose negotia- of senior politicians from all sides of the Northern tions. The Colombian trade unions are playing a Ireland conflict in order to support the peace critical role in the development of a new social process and specifically the demands of civil and political movement, the Patriotic March, society; a ceasefire, civil society involvement, which has mobilised millions of people for peace safety for activists. This would not have been – and which has had around 60 members assas- achieved without the financial and political support sinated since early 2012 and many imprisoned both from the UK and Ireland union movement, – most recently union leader Huber Ballesteros such as NIPSA, Unite, Unison , SIPTU, PSEU, as well as other opposition alliances created to INTO and the ICTU. The campaign has helped support the peace process such as the ‘Frente to build awareness amongst members about Amplio por la Paz’ or ‘Broad Front for Peace. the situation for Colombian trade unionists, and valuable exchanges have taken place. JFC has been active on the call for peace since it’s founding, responding to the fundamental aim The campaign has had huge mainstream press of the Colombian trade union agenda to secure coverage both in the UK and Colombia, and ICTU Delegation Visit Report July 2014 9 Northern Ireland Parliamentarians Jeffrey Donaldson MP (DUP), Conall McDevitt MLA (SDLP), John McCallister MLA (Independent Unionist), Conor Murphy MP (Sinn Fein) meet FARC negotiators in Cuba 2013.