The AFT this month urged the government of Colombia "to resolve the country's long-standing internal conflicts and guarantee its citizens and workers safe and secure communities." On International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, AFT president Edward J. McElroy sent a letter to Colombia's president Alvaro Uribe Velez to express the union's growing concern about worker safety and security in that country.

Since 1990, more than 3,000 trade unionists have been assassinated in Colombia, and many of their killers remain unpunished. The AFT has repeatedly written letters to protest the government's lack of action to stop the violence against trade unionists there or to find and punish the perpetrators. Most recently, the union's executive council in October approved a resolution denouncing "the persistent violence against teachers and other working people in Colombia" and noting that trade unionists continue to be the targets of threats, physical intimidation, displacement and even assassination.

McElroy's letter urged the government to "abide by all current collective bargaining agreements affecting the public sector and to denounce and condemn all acts of violence, from any source, that target workers or other defenseless civilians." McElroy also called on the Colombia government to "ensure there is no connection between any arm of the government and any group committing criminal acts of violence" and to "conduct thorough investigations to ensure that perpetrators of violence are brought to justice in a timely fashion."

"Workers' rights—especially the right of employees to freely associate and belong to unions of their own choosing—allow Colombians to better provide for the economic security of their families and communities," said McElroy. "Even more, these freedoms are a fundamental pillar of a democratic society." [Eric Duncan, Trish Gorman]

December 14, 2004