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Sintracarbón in negotiations to improve conditions

6 December, 2012The union representing workers at the Colombian company Carbones del Cerrejón is currently negotiating to improve conditions for both permanent and outsourced workers and the whole community.

The collective agreement between the union and Carbones del Cerrejón in Colombia expires on 31 December this year. Sintracarbón is therefore in the process of negotiations on behalf of all workers, especially those in precarious work engaged on outsourced activities. Company and union representatives began negotiations on Tuesday 4 December.

Sintracarbón, which has 5,900 members, including permanent and outsourced workers, has always tried to act in the interests of the whole community in Guajira, in the north of the country, which has been affected by the expansion of mining.

Carbones del Cerrejón, a consortium formed by the transnational companies BH Billiton, Xstrata and Anglo America, is the country’s biggest coal producer. The coal is mainly exported to Europe.

Carlos Bustos, projects coordinator for IndustriALL in Colombia, says that, “Sintracarbón is the oldest union among IndustriALL’s Columbian affiliates and it has always had our support and solidarity. With more than 50 million members, we are ready to give it all the support it needs to achieve its objectives and reach a speedy agreement over its list of demands.”