Trumka Rails Against Labor Protection in Colombia, Says Violations Bode Poorly for TPP
Ongoing and pervasive labor rights violations in Colombia illustrate the weak U.S. approach to labor rules in free trade agreements, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in an April 7 statement (here). More than 100 union activists have been killed since…
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the U.S.-Colombia FTA entered into force in 2012, but the two sides signed the Labor Action Plan addendum the year before, said Trumka, citing statistics provide by the Colombian National Union School (ENS). "The latest report issued by the ENS demonstrates that there has been virtually no progress over the past year in compliance with the LAP," said Trumka. "As the US government negotiates broad trade agreements with Europe and the Pacific Rim, it must look back at the LAP’s continued failure in protecting workers’ rights in Colombia, and not commit the same mistakes." The AFL-CIO has consistently opposed Trade Promotion Authority, and often criticized Trans-Pacific Partnership talks.