Colombia-US FTA will halt labor rights progress: WOLA
Colombia-US FTA will halt labor rights progress: WOLA
Tuesday, 10 April 2012 14:58
Sarah Kinosian
The imminent passage of the Colombia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will halt progress on the Andean nation's appalling workers' rights record, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) said Tuesday.
Gimena Sanchez, WOLA's senior associate for Colombia, told Colombia Reports the final approval of the FTA would significantly reduce the political leverage of the U.S. government to really change things for labor rights conditions in Colombia.
U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce that Colombia has met the labor rights conditions required for final approval of the FTA at the upcoming Summit of the Americas, despite ongoing violence against unionists in the country. Since January 2012, four union members have been killed across the country, while dozens were murdered in 2011- Colombian unions say 51, the government says 30.
The Labor Action Plan, signed in April 2011 as part of FTA negotiations, stipulated that Colombia take measures against the threatening and killing of unionists, prosecute those suspected of violating workers rights, and combat the exploitation of laborers. The agreement allowed for the U.S. Congress to approve the FTA, the passage of which has been delayed since 2006 over human and labor rights concerns.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/23323-colombia-us-fta-will-halt-labor-rights-progress-wola.html