Canadian trade deal with Colombia ignores union murders

Money for murder 'cooperation fund' included in the proposed agreement

Ottawa (10 June 2008) - Despite a growing number of organizations and individuals raising concerns about negotiating a free trade agreement with Colombia, the Harper government has gone ahead and tentatively signed a deal with the country's murderous regime.

Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson says in a statement on his department's website that the "agreement will expand Canada-Colombia trade and investment and will help solidify ongoing efforts by the government of Colombia to create a more prosperous, equitable and secure democracy."

The signing took place despite condemnation by many prominent Canadians and organizations of the continued killing of activists in Colombia, and repeated appeals to the prime minister to halt free trade negotiations with the brutal government that runs the South American country.

One of the most controversial aspects of the negotiations is a provision that would allow the Colombian government to pay a token monetary amount into a cooperation fund when a Colombian trade unionist is murdered.

Protest by four large unions

Four of Canada's largest public sector unions – with a combined membership of 1.1 million members across Canada – sent a jointly-signed letter to Harper on the issue. It said in part: "We are appalled to learn that trade union lives are being treated as tradable commodities in Canada's on-going negotiations with the Colombian government."

The letter was signed by the national leaders of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

The foreign affairs department indicates that language in the agreement dealing with the 'cooperation fund' remains.

"If obligations are not respected, the offending country may have to pay up to $15 million in any one year into a cooperation fund, which will be used to resolve issues identified through the dispute resolution process," the department says. "Labour, along with environmental and human rights issues, has been a focus of the standing committee on international trade's ongoing hearings on Canada's negotiations with Colombia."

Meaningless debate?

Most human rights organizations see this commitment as largely meaningless.

After reviewing the text of the agreement, the government plans to table the agreement in the Commons for a period of 21 sitting days.

"During that time, members of parliament will be able to review, debate, vote on a motion, or send the agreements to committee for further review. Following the 21-day period, the government plans to introduce draft legislation to implement the agreements," the department says.

Given that all prior input to the negotiations, including on the labour cooperation fund, have been ignored many wonder how interested the Harper government is in real consultations on the deal. NUPGE