BELGIUM: At a special hearing in the European Parliament on 9 December trade unions from around Europe together with several members of the European Parliament came together to speak up against the EU-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

The hearing was chaired by UK MEP Richard Howitt who said that 'Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist'. Other speakers included the leader of the Colombian CUT confederation, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) leader John Monks, Senator Jorge Robledo from Colombia and Yessika Hoyos, daughter of a murdered Colombian trade union leader who was herself recently awarded the AFL-CIO human rights prize for her work to bring those who murder trade unionists to justice.

Colombian trade unions have expressed their opposition to an EU-Colombia trade deal, as have the International Trade Union Confederation, the ETUC, the International Metalworkers' Federation and many IMF affiliates.

Opponents to the trade deal argue such an agreement will be a political endorsement for the government and policies of President Uribe at a time when his government is failing to protect the most basic human rights of Colombian citizens. Accordingly, the US Congress and Canadian Parliament have recently blocked similar agreements because of these concerns, and the Norwegian Parliament has refused to ratify a proposed EFTA agreement with Colombia.

The hearing was organised by coalition group, Justice for Colombia, working with the ETUC, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Irish Congress of Trades Union (ICTU), IMF-affiliate Unite the Union, and others.