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Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world for a trade unionist--well over 2,000 union leaders and members have been murdered there since 1991. And the government routinely ignores or violates internationally recognized workers' rights.
Yet the Bush administration has sent a trade deal with Colombia to Congress.
Congress should not support a trade agreement with Colombia until that government meets an established set of human rights benchmarks. These benchmarks include:
--Completely severing all ties with paramilitary organizations and international criminal networks, which are responsible for most of the murders of union members.
--Making significant advances in the investigation and prosecution of crimes against trade unionists and providing meaningful and adequate protection for unions and trade unionists.
--Bringing Colombia's labor laws into conformity with International Labor Organization (ILO) core labor standards and providing full support for the newly created ILO office in Colombia to monitor labor rights compliance and pursue investigations of key cases of assassinations of trade unionists.
Again, I urge you to oppose a trade agreement with Colombia until their government takes strong action to stop the violence against trade union members and ends the government's assaults on union rights. |
