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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #8508/01 3472037
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 132037Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0490
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7936
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 9660
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ DEC 9119
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5708
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 0976
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6406
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4213
RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BOGOTA 008508 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB KJUS PGOV PHUM PTER CO
SUBJECT: ILO COMMISSION GAINS TRIPARTITE PERSPECTIVES IN 
COLOMBIA 
 
REF: A. GENEVA 1578 
     ¶B. BOGOTA 6746 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. A high-level International Labor Organization (ILO) 
commission visited Colombia November 25-28 to encourage 
progress on implementation on the June 2006 Tripartite 
Agreement (ref A).  The commission released its report--which 
the local ILO report called positive--to the GOC, unions, and 
employers on December 13, but will not make it public. 
Colombia's main labor groups told the commission the GOC has 
made progress in protecting labor leaders and prosecuting 
cases of violence against unionists--the first time the 
confederations have acknowledged such progress--but said more 
should be done to ensure workers' rights.  The unions 
proposed an eleven point agenda--which was accepted by the 
GOC and business community--that will provide the basis for 
discussions on a roadmap for progress on labor issues.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
COMMISSION PROMOTES DIALOGUE AMONGST TRIPARTITE GROUPS 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. At the GOC's invitation, a high-level ILO commission 
visited Colombia November 25-28 to meet with GOC officials, 
labor leaders, and industry representatives to encourage 
progress in implementing the June 2006 Tripartite Agreement 
on labor issues.  The GOC invited the commission to visit 
during the annual ILO meetings in Geneva last June.  The 
commission underscored the importance of dialogue among 
workers, employers and the GOC.  It did not try to determine 
whether the parties were complying with their commitments 
under the agreement. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
HIGH-LEVEL REPS ELEVATE PROFILE OF LABOR DISCUSSIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3. The ILO's resident representative in Colombia, Marcelo 
Castro Fox, said the visit was intended to raise the profile 
of discussion of labor issues.  The commission provided its 
trip report to the GOC, unions, and employers on December 13, 
but will not make it public.  Local ILO representative 
Marcelo Castro Fox said he would provide Post with a copy 
which we will forward to WHA/AND, and noted that the 
Colombians were free to release the report to the public. 
Commission members included Jean Maninat, Director of the 
ILO's regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean; 
Jose Luis Dasa, Director of the Sub-regional office for 
Andean Countries; Ricardo Hernandez Pulido, Director of the 
ILO's Department of Services, Relations, Meetings, and 
Documents; Karen Curtis, Deputy Director of the Department of 
International Workplace Norms; and Martha Travieso, officer 
in the Norms Department 
 
------------------------------ 
GOC OUTLINES PROGRESS ON LABOR 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. Vice Minister of Labor Andres Palacios said the GOC 
appreciated the commission's visit as an opportunity to show 
GOC progress in implementing the agreement.  He cited the 
increase in prosecution of violence against labor unionists 
and said the Ministry of Interior and Justice's protection 
program had protected over 1,720 unionists in 2007.  Palacio 
said the GOC provided $2.2 million to the ILO in October for 
the four projects agreed to in the tripartite agreement, 
enabling work to begin on employment generation for women, 
youth, and  the displaced, as well as promoting social 
dialogue among the tripartite groups. The commission also met 
with the Inspector General, Supreme and Constitutional 
Courts, Human Rights Ombudsman, Prosecutor General, Vice 
Minister of Justice, National Police, Department of 
Administrative Security (DAS), and the Vice President. 
 
------------------------- 
UNIONS RECOGNIZE PROGRESS 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. Colombia's three major labor confederations, the United 
 
Confederation of Workers (CUT), the Confederation of 
Colombian Workers (CTC) , and the General Confederation of 
Workers (CGT), along with the confederation of retired 
citizens (CPC), welcomed the commission's visit and used it 
as a vehicle to present their proposals for implementing the 
tripartite agreement to the GOC.  The unions proposed eleven 
themes to include in a "road-map" for implementation of the 
tripartite agreement.  Castro Fox said all three parties were 
amenable to using these points as the basis for starting 
discussion.  The tripartite group committed to meeting 
monthly to discuss next steps. 
 
¶6. Castro Fox told us that in their meeting with the 
commission, Colombia's labor confederations recognized GOC 
progress in protecting labor leaders and in prosecuting cases 
of violence against unionists.  The ILO and GOC considered 
this an important step in improving relations with the 
unions, noting that this was the first time the 
confederations had acknowledged such progress.  Castro Fox 
told us that, with the exception of the violence issues, the 
workplace issues in Colombia--collective bargaining, workers' 
cooperatives, and promoting the right to organize--are the 
same as in other countries in the region.  As the GOC makes 
progress on protection and prosecution, Castro said 
Colombia's labor regime should be judged in the same terms as 
those of other Latin countries. 
 
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EMPLOYERS WILLING TO CONTINUE DIALOGUE 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. Alberto Echavarria, Vice President of the National 
Association of Industries (ANDI), characterized the 
commission's visit as positive.  He reviewed progress made by 
employers in promoting the right to organize and in complying 
with legal obligations on salaries, benefits, and contracts. 
ANDI's proposals include supporting prosecutions and 
protection, as well as involving the ILO's representative in 
Colombia in informal efforts to resolve labor disputes. 
 
Brownfield