GOC, LABOR (EVEN THE ELN?) SUPPORT ILO ACCORD:

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006487 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. PLEASE PASS DEPT. OF LABOR, USTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2016 TAGS: ELAB PHUM PGOV ETRD CO SUBJECT: GOC, LABOR (EVEN THE ELN?) SUPPORT ILO ACCORD: IMPLEMENTATION BEGINS REF: GENEVA 1578 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Milton K. Drucker. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) The GOC believes the Tripartite ILO Agreement (reftel) can help assuage concerns of U.S. Members of Congress opposed to the FTA over perceptions of unfavorable labor conditions in Colombia. Union leaders also maintain a positive view of the accord, and even the ELN has privately praised it. Since the agreement was signed on June 2, the tripartite National Settlement Commission (CNC) has reconvened after a two month suspension and the GOC has committed 1.5 million USD to a new unit in the Prosecutor General's Office to combat violence against trade unionists, as well as 4.9 million USD to the ILO's Special Technical Cooperation Program. The GOC is confident that the mandate of the ILO's presence in Colombia, per the agreement, will be limited to supporting the Special Technical Cooperation Program, vice a watchdog role that labor leaders had hoped for. End Summary. -------------- -------------- GOC: AGREEMENT WILL HELP WITH FTA APPROVAL IN THE U.S. -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Acting Vice Minister for Labor Relations Juan Carlos Herrera told Laboff the agreement would help weaken criticism of labor conditions in Colombia and should help win over skeptical members of the U.S. Congress on the FTA, especially Democrats. He praised the agreement, claiming "Critics can no longer say we are not interested in constructive labor relations." -------------- LABOR LEADERS SATISFIED WITH AGREEMENT -------------- ¶3. (C) Labor leaders have remained supportive of the agreement. Carlos Rodriguez, one of the labor delegates who signed the agreement and president of the United Worker's Confederation (CUT),told Laboff on June 28, "We are very happy because the ILO is now directly involved with our relations with the Government." He explained that Uribe's presidential victory in May had given Uribe "enormous power" and said the agreement was labor's way of "recognizing this power and allying with it." -------------- LABOR: "ELN IS HAPPY WITH THE AGREEMENT" -------------- ¶4. (C) Rodriguez said the agreement could also contribute to the peace process between the GOC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). Rodriguez, who is also one of six civil society guarantors of the ELN peace process, said ELN spokesperson and negotiator Francisco Galan was "happy" with the accord because, "It shows the Colombian government's willingness to negotiate." Vice Minister Sanchez told Laboff on July 4 the ELN's support for the agreement was "significant," given the group's historic interest in workers' rights. -------------- PARTIES BEGIN IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS -------------- ¶5. (U) The agreement is already improving the atmosphere of government-labor relations and both parties have begun implementing the accord's four major provisions: -- The establishment of a permanent ILO presence in Colombia: This provision is the agreement's most notable one, as the GOC had previously rejected a similar ILO recommendation due to the activist mandate such an office contemplated. On June 30, Maria Ducci of the ILO Director General's Office met with the GOC, labor, and business representatives to discuss details of the ILO presence in Colombia. Although labor leaders have argued to the ILO that its presence should assume a watchdog role, Vice Minister Sanchez told Laboff on July 4 that Ducci was "very clear" that the ILO mandate would be limited to supporting the Special Technical Cooperation Program. -- The strengthening of GOC efforts to end impunity for violence against trade unionists: On July 4th, the three major labor confederations met with Minister of Social Protection Diego Palacio, Vice Minister for Labor Relations Jorge Leon Sanchez, and Prosecutor General Mario Iguaran to discuss the details of a project within the Prosecutor General's Office to bolster investigations into crimes against trade unionists (septel). The GOC has committed approximately 1.5 million USD to the initiative. -- The GOC providing resources for the ILO Special Technical Cooperation Program: The GOC has earmarked 4.9 million USD to support the program, which would have run out of funding this year. -- The reconvening of the tripartite National Settlement Commission for Labor and Salary Policies (CNC): On June 27, the CNC met for the first time since organized labor indefinitely suspended official dialogue with the GOC in April. The parties agreed upon the CNC's upcoming agenda, which will include the issues of union strengthening, associative cooperatives, and labor complaints. DRUCKER