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Viewing cable 08BOGOTA812, LABOR CONFEDERATIONS CRITICIZE GOC'S LABOR REFORM

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08BOGOTA812 2008-03-04 20:01 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Bogota
VZCZCXYZ0106
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #0812/01 0642001
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 042001Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1654
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8072
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0045
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR 9273
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5970
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 1341
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6615
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4315
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BOGOTA 000812 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL ECON SOCI CO
SUBJECT: LABOR CONFEDERATIONS CRITICIZE GOC'S LABOR REFORM 
PACKAGE 
 
REF: A. BOGOTA 4860 
     B. BOGOTA 8662 
 
-------- 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
1.  (U) Colombia's three main labor confederations criticized 
the GOC's labor reform package which is pending in Congress. 
The unions applauded the proposed transfer of authority for 
declaring whether a strike is legal from the executive to the 
judiciary, but said the two bills (Legality of Strikes Bill 
and the Cooperatives Bill) not not go far enough to address 
labor rights.  The AFL-CIO-affiliated Solidarity Center also 
thinks the package could do more to advance workers' 
interests.  In informal discussions, the International Labor 
Organization (ILO) representative in Colombia called the 
legislation a "step forward".  The bills should pass before 
the Congressional term ends on June 20.  End summary. 
 
-------------------------------- 
LEGISLATION UNDER CONSIDERATION 
-------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) As noted in reftel, the GOC's labor reform 
package--which consists of the Legality of Strikes and the 
Cooperatives bills--would transfer authority for declaring 
whether a strike is legal from the executive to the 
judiciary; make binding arbitration, if requested by one of 
the parties, mandatory after a strike has lasted 68 days 
instead of the current 60 days; require workers' cooperatives 
to pay into the social security benefits programs; and 
increase fines for cooperatives that do not comply with 
current laws. 
 
3.  (SBU) Social Protection Minister Diego Palacio confirmed 
the current bill has language providing for obligatory 
arbitration at the request of one party after a strike has 
lasted 68 days.  Still, he said MSP has a deal with pro-GOC 
legislators to amend the language to provide for mandatory 
arbitration only at the request of both parties.  Business 
leaders fear eliminating the mandatory arbitration provision 
could lead to business closures, since Colombian law 
prohibits workers from returning to work if a strike is 
ongoing -- even if they want to do so. 
 
----------------------------- 
LABOR CONFEDERATION CONCERNS 
----------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) Colombia's three main labor confederations voiced 
disappointment with the proposed legislation.  They agreed 
the transfer of authority to rule on the legality of strikes 
from the executive to the judiciary was positive, but they 
want the Constitutional Court to make the determination 
rather than local judges, as stipulated in the current bill. 
They claim local judges are more susceptible to "outside 
influence" and would not be objective. If unsuccessful in 
obtaining the Constitutional Court as the appropriate forum, 
they want a clear appeals process set up. 
 
5.  (U)  The labor confederations say the payment of social 
security and benefits programs by cooperatives was never 
their issue.  They charge that the Cooperatives Bill does not 
address employer abuse of cooperatives to circumvent worker 
rights and limit unionization, arguing that tighter 
enforcement of existing legislation requiring cooperatives to 
be worker owned and managed would be a more effective 
solution.   The confederations claim the GOC's proposed bill 
would legitimize "false" cooperatives and cut workers' net 
salaries. 
 
6.  (U)  The confederations assert that the reform package 
also does not address their longstanding complaint that the 
GOC interprets a legislative ban on strikes by "essential 
public services" in an overly expansive way.  They claim the 
lack of legislative clarity leads courts to "paint with too 
wide of a brush" when determining what public sectors cannot 
strike.  For example, Apecides Fernandez, President of the 
CTC (Confederacion de Trabajadores de Colombia) stated the 
administrative offices in the public health sector should be 
allowed to strike, even if doctors and nurses are required to 
report to duty. 
 
 
------------------------ 
GOC UNION CONSULTATIONS 
------------------------ 
 
7.  (SBU) The Ministry of Social Protection (MSP) invited the 
three confederations to discuss the legislation before 
presenting the bills to congress.  The ILO representative 
confirmed that two of the three confederations, the CTC and 
the CUT, refused the invitation and have subsequently charged 
that there was no GOC dialogue with labor before the bills 
were sent to Congress. 
 
--------------------- 
OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES 
--------------------- 
 
8.  (U) Rhett Doumitt of the AFL-CIO affiliated Solidarity 
Center agreed with the labor confederations' criticisms.  In 
addition, he said the bill should allow workers to form 
sector-wide unions, and that they should be allowed to 
negotiate directly with employers.  Currently, under 
Colombian law these types of negotiations are not allowed. 
He said that collective bargaining is the only situation in 
which workers are legally permitted to strike.  He thinks 
workers should be allowed to strike in other situations, such 
as in the case of massive layoffs. 
 
9.  (SBU) In informal comments, Marcelo Castro Fox, the local 
ILO representative, said the labor reform package was a "step 
forward" for the GOC and labor rights in Colombia.  He added 
that there are no ILO conventions that are at odds with the 
mandatory arbitration provision in the proposed labor 
legislation, but said the unions' complaints regarding the 
appeal issue and the need for a definition of essential 
public services are valid.  Castro said President Uribe and 
other GOC officials are "exceptionally accessible" to the 
confederations, and praised the GOC's protection programs for 
labor unionists and other at-risk individuals. 
 
------------------- 
STATUS IN CONGRESS 
------------------- 
 
10.  The Cooperatives Bill (144) has passed in the commission 
debates in both houses, and is pending a floor hearing in the 
House and Senate (both houses).  The commission debates on 
the Legality of Strikes Bill(190) have not taken place yet. 
Both of these bills will likely pass between late March and 
June 20, when the Congressional term ends. 
Brownfield