The Colombian Government is weakening unions of the state mining company Minercol with the firing of

The Colombian Government is weakening unions of the state mining company Minercol with the firing of Lilia Rocio Castañeda, General Secretary of SINTRAMINERCOL

September 23, 2005

The undersigned unions, and social and human rights organizations denounce the arbitrary firing of Lilia Rocío Castañeda by the administration of Minercol Ltda, in carrying out of the government policy of exterminating union organizations; we call urgently for the solidarity of social and human rights organizations of the world to prevent the legal and physical disappearance of the of union leaders in Colombia.

DEMANDS

That the Colombian State for once and all end the repression against members of Sintraminercol and that officials of the company Minercol Ltda immediately return LILIA ROCIO CASTAÑEDA to her work position.

That the Colombian government and officials of the multinational companies which are mining the resources of Colombia take responsibility for their repression and cease their strategy of dismantling the union organizations which act within the law and civil society.

That the 20th Circuit Labor court and District Court of Bogotá guarantee due process and respond to the requests and appeals of the lawyers of the union and that their rulings be made with regards to the law and not to political pressures.

SIGNING ORGANIZATIONS

SINTRAMINERCOL, SINTRAMIN, FENALTRASE, FENASINTRAP, FUNTRAENERGÉTICA, CUT DIRECTIVA BOGOTA Y CUNDINAMARCA, SINTRAELECOL COSTA ATLÁNTICA, UNEB, USO, ASOCIACIÓN ECATE, NOMADESC, ACACEVA, SINTRAENTEMDICCOL, CAMPAÑA PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR, ORGANIZACIÓN WAYUU MUNSURAT

Please send to the Colombian officials, to the multinationals and the embassies of Switzerland, Canada and the United States, with a copy to Sintraminercol.