The agreement recognises the union and includes several benefits for workers, including the right to a fair, bipartite process for disciplinary investigations. The SNTT hopes it heralds a new era of mutual respect and industrial peace at Buenaventura.
The SNTT, which represents 84 of the company’s 350 workers in the port, achieved the CBA with TCBUEN – which was acquired by APM in 2015 – after what it described as one of its toughest battles. It said the company had refused to begin negotiations until forced to by Colombia’s labour ministry, and that the successful outcome was due to the workers’ determination and its negotiators’ skills.
Workers experienced what they described as anti-union persecution when they started organising at the terminal, including threats of dismissal. Two were dismissed, although they were immediately reinstated following SNTT legal action over their right to join the union.
Docker Carlos Palcios said: “APM/TCBUEN did everything to prevent us from joining the union. At times we felt like we were in hell. We found it impossible to understand how a company with a corporate social responsibility policy in Europe could act in a completely different way in Colombia.
“Fortunately, thanks to the union and the international solidarity of the ITF family, we now enjoy one of the best CBAs in Colombia’s ports.”
The priority for SNTT Colombia is to sign as many CBAs as possible with the support of the ITF and its unions the FNV, SASK and 3F. So far, its 20 agreements cover 3,200 transport workers, including 10 covering nearly 800 dockers.
ITF Americas regional secretary Antonio Rodriguez Fritz congratulated SNTT and its strong leadership and thanked the ITF unions, which had worked alongside regional unions to motivate workers to trust and join the SNTT.
The SNTT Colombia has told the ITF that it is taking legal action against TCBUEN for obstructing freedom of association.
Find out more about the SNTT at http://snttdecolombia.org/.
