ILO Conference 2008:  Colombia appears before Conference Standards Committee

The Colombian government appeared before the committee as the result of the extraordinary pressure from the international labour movement, which rejected its attempts to avoid coming before the committee. The outcome of the discussion on Colombia will be included in the full conclusions and recommendations of the committee. Since the beginning of 2008, 26 trade unionists have been murdered, a 71 per cent increase for the same period last year. For all of these murders impunity persists, as for some 97% of the more than 2,500 murders of Colombian trade unionists since 1986.

PSI recently launched an urgent action appeal calling on its affiliated organisations to send letters of protest to President Alvaro Uribe condemning the assassinations of four trade unionists on or around the day of action held in Colombia on 6 March. The day of action “For the Dignity of Victims”, which had the full support of the trade union movement, was a tribute to—and in solidarity with—all the victims of arbitrary violence and the armed conflict.

For more information see:

- PSI's Urgent Action

- CUT-CGT- CTC Colombia Press Release (Spanish only) 

Follow the Conference on the ILO's web site: www.ilo.org.