Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BOGOTA1012
2009-03-27 19:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
COLOMBIA LABOR UPDATE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0014 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #1012/01 0861954 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 271954Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7955 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8760 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1901 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR 0028 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 7220 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 3285 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 7940 RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4861 RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001012
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2019
TAGS: ELAB PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA LABOR UPDATE
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
Reason 1.4 (b, d)
SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001012
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2019
TAGS: ELAB PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA LABOR UPDATE
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
Reason 1.4 (b, d)
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) The labor-affiliated National Union School (ENS)
reports seven cases of unionist homicides so far in 2009.
Since its inception in October 2006, the Prosecutor General's
(Fiscalia) labor sub-unit has obtained convictions of 126
individuals for labor-related crimes. In total, the Fiscalia
has convicted 204 individuals since 2000. After criticism
from the three major labor confederations, the Fiscalia will
no longer publicly report on the judicially determined
motives of perpetrators in successfully prosecuted labor
cases. Still, the Fiscalia told us on a non-attribution
basis that its analysis of judicial decisions through
February 15 shows the most common motive was the unionist's
perceived affiliation with the FARC or ELN (31 percent),
followed by union/professional activity (20 percent),unknown
(20 percent),common crime (15 percent) and personal disputes
(5 percent). End Summary
HOMICIDES OF UNIONISTS IN 2009
--------------
2. (C) The National Union School (ENS) reports seven cases
of unionist murders so far in 2009, all of whom were union
members. (Note: ENS includes in its statistics a broad
spectrum of labor activist groups that are not registered as
unions, including peasant leaders, family members of
unionists they determine are targeted due to their family
members' union affiliation, and members of any organization
that has a "union-like" structure.)
LABOR SUB-UNIT SPEEDS UP CASE PROCESSING
--------------
3. (U) Since 2000, the Prosecutor General's Office
(Fiscalia) has obtained convictions of 204 individuals for
labor-related crimes. The Fiscalia's labor crimes
sub-unit--created in October, 2006 and housed within the
Fiscalia's Human Rights Unit -- has obtained 126 convictions,
or over 60 percent of the total number of individuals
convicted. The sub-unit has obtained the conviction of seven
individuals so far in 2009. (Note: The Fiscalia has
resolved a total of 135 cases, resulting in 184 sentences
against 269 people. However, once the list of sentenced
offenders is purged of multiple sentences against the same
person, the result is 204 individuals).
4. (U) The labor sub-unit, created as part of the
tripartite agreement in 2006 between the GOC, labor, and
employers, developed a "priority" list of 185 labor cases to
pursue. To date, thirty-two priority cases have been
successfully prosecuted, although some unions question the
validity of the case list. The sub-unit has a staff of
116--19 prosecutors, 19 assistant prosecutors, and 78
investigators. The sub-unit has been assigned a total of
1303 labor-crime cases associated with 1545 victims. Of the
assigned cases, 616 are for homicides (823 victims) and 289
cases are for threats. Many of these cases are reflected in
ILO case 1787. Sixty-one of the assigned cases are being
pursued under the new accusatory system.
FISCALIA WARY TO PUBLICIZE MOTIVES
--------------
5. (C) After criticism from the three major labor
confederations, the Fiscalia no longer publicly reports on
the judicially-determined motives of perpetrators in
successfully-prosecuted cases. Still, it maintains internal
data based on judicial decisions. Its most recent report
(through February 15)--which the Fiscalia provided us on a
non-attribution basis--indicates the most common motive (31
percent) was the victim's perceived affiliation with the FARC
or ELN. Tied for the second most common motive was
union/professional activity and unknown (20 percent each),
followed by common crime (15 percent) and personal disputes
(5 percent). The confederations have opposed efforts to fund
independent studies to determine the cause of violence
against unionists.
THE STATE OF COLOMBIAN UNIONS
--------------
6. (U) Approximately 825,000 workers -- representing about
11 percent of Colombia's 7.4 million formal sector employees
-- are unionized in Colombia, with most affiliated with ONE
of the three labor federations. According to Juan Bernardo
Rosado of the National Labor School, 52% (430,206) of union
members work in the public sector, 230,000 of whom are
members of the Colombian Federation of Educators (FECODE).
FECODE is Colombia's largest public sector union. The next
largest public sector union is the Association of HEALTH and
Social Security Workers of Colombia (ANTHOC),with
approximately 20,000 members.
BROWNFIELD
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2019
TAGS: ELAB PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA LABOR UPDATE
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
Reason 1.4 (b, d)
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) The labor-affiliated National Union School (ENS)
reports seven cases of unionist homicides so far in 2009.
Since its inception in October 2006, the Prosecutor General's
(Fiscalia) labor sub-unit has obtained convictions of 126
individuals for labor-related crimes. In total, the Fiscalia
has convicted 204 individuals since 2000. After criticism
from the three major labor confederations, the Fiscalia will
no longer publicly report on the judicially determined
motives of perpetrators in successfully prosecuted labor
cases. Still, the Fiscalia told us on a non-attribution
basis that its analysis of judicial decisions through
February 15 shows the most common motive was the unionist's
perceived affiliation with the FARC or ELN (31 percent),
followed by union/professional activity (20 percent),unknown
(20 percent),common crime (15 percent) and personal disputes
(5 percent). End Summary
HOMICIDES OF UNIONISTS IN 2009
--------------
2. (C) The National Union School (ENS) reports seven cases
of unionist murders so far in 2009, all of whom were union
members. (Note: ENS includes in its statistics a broad
spectrum of labor activist groups that are not registered as
unions, including peasant leaders, family members of
unionists they determine are targeted due to their family
members' union affiliation, and members of any organization
that has a "union-like" structure.)
LABOR SUB-UNIT SPEEDS UP CASE PROCESSING
--------------
3. (U) Since 2000, the Prosecutor General's Office
(Fiscalia) has obtained convictions of 204 individuals for
labor-related crimes. The Fiscalia's labor crimes
sub-unit--created in October, 2006 and housed within the
Fiscalia's Human Rights Unit -- has obtained 126 convictions,
or over 60 percent of the total number of individuals
convicted. The sub-unit has obtained the conviction of seven
individuals so far in 2009. (Note: The Fiscalia has
resolved a total of 135 cases, resulting in 184 sentences
against 269 people. However, once the list of sentenced
offenders is purged of multiple sentences against the same
person, the result is 204 individuals).
4. (U) The labor sub-unit, created as part of the
tripartite agreement in 2006 between the GOC, labor, and
employers, developed a "priority" list of 185 labor cases to
pursue. To date, thirty-two priority cases have been
successfully prosecuted, although some unions question the
validity of the case list. The sub-unit has a staff of
116--19 prosecutors, 19 assistant prosecutors, and 78
investigators. The sub-unit has been assigned a total of
1303 labor-crime cases associated with 1545 victims. Of the
assigned cases, 616 are for homicides (823 victims) and 289
cases are for threats. Many of these cases are reflected in
ILO case 1787. Sixty-one of the assigned cases are being
pursued under the new accusatory system.
FISCALIA WARY TO PUBLICIZE MOTIVES
--------------
5. (C) After criticism from the three major labor
confederations, the Fiscalia no longer publicly reports on
the judicially-determined motives of perpetrators in
successfully-prosecuted cases. Still, it maintains internal
data based on judicial decisions. Its most recent report
(through February 15)--which the Fiscalia provided us on a
non-attribution basis--indicates the most common motive (31
percent) was the victim's perceived affiliation with the FARC
or ELN. Tied for the second most common motive was
union/professional activity and unknown (20 percent each),
followed by common crime (15 percent) and personal disputes
(5 percent). The confederations have opposed efforts to fund
independent studies to determine the cause of violence
against unionists.
THE STATE OF COLOMBIAN UNIONS
--------------
6. (U) Approximately 825,000 workers -- representing about
11 percent of Colombia's 7.4 million formal sector employees
-- are unionized in Colombia, with most affiliated with ONE
of the three labor federations. According to Juan Bernardo
Rosado of the National Labor School, 52% (430,206) of union
members work in the public sector, 230,000 of whom are
members of the Colombian Federation of Educators (FECODE).
FECODE is Colombia's largest public sector union. The next
largest public sector union is the Association of HEALTH and
Social Security Workers of Colombia (ANTHOC),with
approximately 20,000 members.
BROWNFIELD