Gustavo Petro is the new president of Colombia. On June 19, the country’s history is cut in half with the victory of the first left-wing politician as a guest of the Casa de Nariño. Much of the social and labor movement has been involved in Petro’s campaign since its inception and many more have joined for the second round. The great support received by Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez is also a triumph for the men and women of the social organizations and trade unions who committed themselves to the idea of change they proclaimed.
The central trade unions and many organizations rejoiced at the victory of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez. The presidents of the centrals came out to show their support for the new government and to express their hope for a change that benefits the workers of Colombia.
The Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, CUT, the Confederación de Trabajadores de Colombia, CTC and the Confederación General del Trabajo, CTG, as the main trade union centers of the country han coincided in apoyar al nuevo gobierno and in estar ready to build the reforms that are necessary in the country. They also hope that regulations that affect workers’ rights and unionism will be repealed.
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CUT says new era begins with government of Gustavo Petro
Francisco Maltes, president of the CUT declared that with the government of Gustavo Petro a new era begins in Colombia. He assured that there are many shortcomings that the new president will have to address, including hunger, inequality and the lack of university education for young people.
Regarding trade unionism, Maltes said that the country is required to respect freedom of association, the right to associate and the right to organize. In the same way, it is necessary that the agreements are respected, both in the public and private sectors. Finally, Maltes spoke of the need for this new government to comply with international labor recommendations.
On the other hand, the CUT also announced a statement of support to the government of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez. The factory considers the new government’s proposal to implement the peace agreement, seek social justice and environmental justice to be very positive. They express in the communication their desire to seek progress on decent work and I say. The Centrale also says it wants to ask for collective compensation for the union movement. Likewise, the CUT will seek to have its unions participate in the construction of the Development Plan and ends by saying that it will be part of the great national agreement.
Satisfaction and joy at the CTC
Miguel Morantes, president of the CTC affirmed that in the Central there is satisfaction and joy to be the first time that the left manages to come to power. He assured that they are waiting for the changes that the new government will bring and that they hope that these will begin to lift the country out of backwardness, poverty and exclusion.
Morantes said the country’s challenges are great but he hopes the people will understand the importance of coming together to seek Colombia’s progress. Regarding labor and union issues, the CTC President assured that this new government will be beneficial for the labor movement which has been stigmatized, flouted and marginalized. A first step to achieving a better world of work will be the repeal of Executive Order 1174, Morantes said. Also, according to the union leader, it is necessary to repeal other regulations harmful to workers and seek to improve the responsiveness of the trade union movement in the country.
Finally, Morantes referred to the attitude of the trade unions and sectors of the economy which welcomed the new government. He said it was important that many people look for a way to move the country forward and assured that the CLC would also be ready to support all initiatives aimed at the well-being of Colombia.
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The CGT believes that the course of the country has been rectified
Percy Oyola Palomá, president of the CGT, said that the response of the majority of voters decided to correct the situation regarding the application of the neoliberal model. He assured that this model has been the cause of impoverishment, exclusion and hunger and that it has been massively rejected since last year in unemployment. Oyola hopes that this change expressed at the ballot box will be for the good of the country.
The president of the CGT also hopes that the new government will listen to the workers. In the same way, they expect it to incorporate the international recommendations of the ILO’s Committee of Experts, which has declared that changes must be made in terms of freedom of association, collective bargaining, stopping collective agreements and progress in trade at several levels. Oyola also referred to the recommendations that are in the Action Plan for Labour, the Canadian government and the OECD, he assured that it is important that these are fulfilled.
In addition, the president of the CGT said that they hope that in this government the social dialogue will be deepened, that it will be useful and constructive and that the national agreement will be with the workers within the framework of this dialogue necessary to build reforms in work and pensions and helpful in generating decent work.
En lo que tiene que ver con la disposición que han mostrado los gremios económicos para trabajar con el nuevo gobierno, Percy Oyola aseguró que espera que ese gran acuerdo nacional permita tener las guarantees suficientes para avanzar en la búsqueda de transformations que hagan posible el trabajo decente in Colombia
Finally, Oyola assured that there is a lot of hope in the CGT and that they hope that this new government will lay the foundations for a new relationship between Colombians and that it will reduce the conflict that has been expressed from repressive manner.
Francia Márquez and domestic workers
Another organization that declared itself satisfied with the electoral victory of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez is the Afro-Colombian Union of Domestic Workers, Utrasd. Bearing in mind that the current Vice President is Afro and at one time did some domestic work, this group hopes that their issues will be better addressed by the new government.
The president of the union assured that France, to be a woman and an Afro, knows what the fight of this people is for the recognition of rights. As an organization, they hope that it can give importance to the issue of domestic work and that progress can be made in the demands of the sector.
Claribed said the union organization was on the move during the campaign and that it hopes the new government will promote a public housing inspection policy. He also said they are asking for a reclassification of the risks of domestic workers’ work and for progress to be made in social dialogue and collective bargaining.
Finally, Claribed Palacios assured that she hopes that the new vice-president will come forward and learn about the functioning of the monitoring table of Agreement 189, that she will become a mourner and that what is written will come to fruition.
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