NASUWT continues campaigning against murders of Colombian trade unionists
Extreme concern over missing Columbian activist
The NASUWT is extremely concerned for the safety of FENSUAGRO trade unionist Herman Henry Diaz, who may have been forcibly disappeared on April 18.
NASUWT Ex-President John Rimmer has signed a letter addressed to the Columbian Ambassador along with the other members of the UK delegation of senior trade unionists and MPs that visited Columbia in February.
The delegation travelled to Puerto Asis, Putumayo, in the country and met Mr Diaz, who helped the delegation meet victims of human rights abuses. At the time of his disappearance he had been organising a delegation of 200 activists to take part in a mass demonstration in the capital Bogota.
The delegation are calling on the Ambassador to make representations ot the Columbian Government calling of Mr Diaz to be found and safely returned to his home.
'Life changing' visit for NASUWT President
NASUWT President John Rimmer was part of a group taken to the country by Justice for Columbia (JFC), a British Non-Governmental Organisation that campaigns for human rights, workers' rights and the search for peace.
He has told of his “life-changing experience” as he joined the delegation of senior trade unionists and MPs on the trip. Columbia is the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists with 49 trade union leaders assassinated in 2010, many of them teacher trade unionists.
Mr Rimmer described as “harrowing” the stories of the Mothers of Soacha, a group of desperately poor women whose sons have been tortured and executed. But among a visit dominated by often sad and upsetting experiences, the delegation were able to play a part in the release from prison of Liliany Obando, a Colombian trade unionist and academic.
President tells of "harrowing" experience of visiting the country
Read Mr Rimmer's own account of his trip
World Teachers Day
Colombia is one of four countries officially approved by the NASUWT National Executive to receive support for its trade union movement. The Union has strong links with Justice For Colombia, and sent a delegation to the South American country in 2007. They visited teachers sentenced to imprisonment but later released, thanks in part to international pressure from organisations such as NASUWT.
Colombia Resources to mark World Teachers' Day
TUC attacks proposals for EU free trade agreement
Moves towards a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Columbia closer have been criticised as “deeply disappointing” by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
The TUC and British trade unions, alongside unions across Europe and Latin America, have called for negotiations on the agreement to be halted while violence against trade unionists and human rights workers in Columbia continues.
Last year 52 trade unionists were murdered in the country and six have been killed so far this year. The latest killing was of two agricultural workers, Hector Orozco and Gildardo Garcia, both active trade unionists who had been threatened by a Columbian army officer.
In a statement the TUC said: “The problems facing our Colombian sisters and brothers are longstanding and deeply ingrained and will not be solved with the addition of some aspirational, but entirely unenforceable text, in the margins of a trade agreement.
“We need to see concrete progress at ground level in regard to ending the violence, dealing with the culture of impunity surrounding attacks on trade unionists and securing labour law reform and enforcement so that trade unionists are able to organise freely."
Act Now! Colombia: Free jailed university lecturer and trade unionist
Miguel Ángel Beltrán Villegas, a Colombian university lecturer and unionist was tried in 2009 by Álvaro Uribe’s government, on charges of "rebellion" and "breaking the law for terrorist purposes". One year after his imprisonment there has been no evidence to support the allegations against him. During his teaching career, Dr. Beltrán has published various articles and academic papers questioning the official version of the Colombian civil war. He has also criticised Colombia’s education policy and human rights abuses in the country. Education International is deeply concerned that professor Beltrán has been imprisoned for his political beliefs, like so many other teachers in Colombia, without having committed any crime.
Please add your voice to the international calls for Miguel's release: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=782
Campaign for Justice
NASUWT’s campaigned relentlessly with Justice for Colombia on behalf of Racquel Castro and Samuel Morales, two teachers imprisoned in the country without fair trial or due process for defending human rights. According to figures released by JFC, 84 Colombian trade unionists were murdered by government paramilitaries in 2006, nearly half of whom were teachers.
Samuel has since been released, and Jerry Bartlett, retired Deputy General Secretary, remains convinced that the work of NASUWT activists and the visit of a Union delegation to the country played some part in this success.
At the EI Congress in Berlin, Jerry moved a motion applauding the teachers union Federacion Colombiana de Educadores (FECODE) for its contribution to Colombian civil society. FECODE activists were praised for their courage despite the threat of persecution, torture, unlawful imprisonment and assassination while Congress expressed “outrage” over the imprisonment of Samuel and Racquel.
As well as joining protests outside the Colombian embassy, the Union has urged members to support Amnesty International in keeping political prisoners alive. Local associations have also become affiliates of JFC and donations have been made to the group.
