The minister for mining has started the process of dissolving the state-owned mining firm MINERCOL with the injunction Nr. 180073 from 27. Januar 2004, in a first step it was deprived its tasks.
Refering to the declaration of the decree 254 from 28th of january the breakup of Minercol has to be finished in two years time.
This breakup of a productive and profitable state company is part of the agreed restructuring programme by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund with the columbian state, with which also several thousand of jobs will be abolished.
Another aim is also to get rid of uncomfortable trade unions, like SINTRAMINERCOL, which denounce irregularities and violence against the workers.
Refering to the declaration of the decree 254 from 28th of january the breakup of Minercol has to be finished in two years time.
This breakup of a productive and profitable state company is part of the agreed restructuring programme by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund with the columbian state, with which also several thousand of jobs will be abolished.
Another aim is also to get rid of uncomfortable trade unions, like SINTRAMINERCOL, which denounce irregularities and violence against the workers.
Various multinational companies play an important role in this particular example:
various cement firms like CEMEX or the Swiss company HOLCIM have influenced the draft of the new mining law.
The advocate agency, which is representing these cement firms, got the commission by the columbian government to work out a draft for the new mining law.
This draft, which was accepted in its essential parts, and, according to the trade union SINTRAMINERCOL advantages companies like HOLCIM by easing environmental protection regulations, tax incentives, etc. and is also intending the disbandment of MINERCOL.
But also other mining multinational companies have influenced the mining law, so e.g. Glencor with its principal office in "Zug" in Switzerland, and this via the Canadian NGO, the Canadian Energy Research Institute.
To enable the multinationals an undisturbed exploitation of the natural resources, in the key areas with the richest coal- and metal resources, military and paramilitary operations are performed, leaders of social movements are killed, population groups are displaced or starved out by blockades, until they give up resistance against the exploitative projects . This is for example the case in Nordsantander in La Gabarra and in the South of the Departement Bolívar.
Also several different trade union members from SINTRAMINERCOL,
especially their president Francisco Ramírez, are at the moment threatened.
The Swiss campaign asks for a protest letter writing campaign on Indymedia Germany:
http://germany.indymedia.org/2004/02/75315.shtml
various cement firms like CEMEX or the Swiss company HOLCIM have influenced the draft of the new mining law.
The advocate agency, which is representing these cement firms, got the commission by the columbian government to work out a draft for the new mining law.
This draft, which was accepted in its essential parts, and, according to the trade union SINTRAMINERCOL advantages companies like HOLCIM by easing environmental protection regulations, tax incentives, etc. and is also intending the disbandment of MINERCOL.
But also other mining multinational companies have influenced the mining law, so e.g. Glencor with its principal office in "Zug" in Switzerland, and this via the Canadian NGO, the Canadian Energy Research Institute.
To enable the multinationals an undisturbed exploitation of the natural resources, in the key areas with the richest coal- and metal resources, military and paramilitary operations are performed, leaders of social movements are killed, population groups are displaced or starved out by blockades, until they give up resistance against the exploitative projects . This is for example the case in Nordsantander in La Gabarra and in the South of the Departement Bolívar.
Also several different trade union members from SINTRAMINERCOL,
especially their president Francisco Ramírez, are at the moment threatened.
The Swiss campaign asks for a protest letter writing campaign on Indymedia Germany:
http://germany.indymedia.org/2004/02/75315.shtml 
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