A reception to launch the UK tour of SINTRAEMCALI President, Luis Hernandez, will be held next Friday evening at the Union Tavern.

London trade unionists, Colombia Solidarity Campaign members and other solidarity activists are invited to attend this meeting to welcome Luis and to hear an update of the current situation for trade unionists in Colombia.

Recent news of raids by the Attorney General’s office, uncovering assassination plots against the political and social oppostition in Colombia, including SINTRAEMCALI President, Luis Hernandez, former SINTRAEMCALI President, Congressman Alexander Lopez and Berenice Celeyta, leader of the human rights organisations NOMADESC, make this a vital time to show solidarity to our comrades in Colombia.

On 14 July 2004, 60 workers including SINTRAEMCALI President Luis Hernandez and 5 other members of the union's leadership, were sacked by the EMCALI Director, Carlos Alfonso Potes. SINTRAEMCALI had been denouncing Potes for his involvement in corruption. Despite the finding of the Prosecutor General that Potes should resign, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez ratified Potes in his post.

A successful 36-day occupation by SINTRAEMCALI in December to January 2002 reversed the decision to liquidate the corporation and sell it to multinationals and resulted in an agreement signed by the government of Andrés Pastrana. A further occupation in May this year is the basis for the sackings.







The struggle of SINTRAEMCALI union members over recent years has won the support of trade unionists across the UK. SINTRAEMCALI is a War on Want partner, sister union to UNISON and the focus of campaigns by ICTUR (International Center for Trade Union Rights) and the global union PSI (Public Service International).

The meeting will launch the campaign to sponsor sacked EMCALI workers to continue fighting against neoliberalism and the terror policies of the Colombian government against trade unionists, social movements and human rights defenders.

Food and drink available from the bar

For further information contact the Colombia Solidarity Campaign, PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ, email:  colombia_sc@hotmail.com, Tel: 07743 743041