The World Federation of Trade Unions [WFTU] Trade Union International Public Services and Allied [TUI PS & A] supports its affiliate SINTRAESMDES on its campaign for reforms in health, pensions and labour in Colombia. 

The campaign comes against the background of a historic pact made as a promise to be fulfilled post the elections in Colombia. The pact is a collective of political and social movements organised as an alliance of progressive organisations that came together to contest elections in Colombia.

For decades, governments in Colombia have pursued neoliberal reforms in the health system, pensions, and labour under the false promise of quality, coverage and universality, which were never fulfilled and which on the contrary always sought to favor the interests of bourgeoisie.

The current administration of Gustavo Petro promised to transform the country politically and socially, and to present progressive reforms to restore hope and dignity to the people, which would include amongst others;

Labour reforms, the rights of free association and freedom of association, the recognition of collective bargaining, the elimination of forced or compulsory labour, the elimination of discrimination, the eradication of child labour and the search for safe and healthy working environments which are aligned to the ILO convention which seeks to achieve decent work for all.

Pension reforms to guarantee a dignified old age in Colombia. This reform seeks to strengthen the public fund and preventing big business and pension fund managers from commodifying workers' contributions. The reform would guarantee a basic retirement income for 2.5 million adults over the age of 65 without pension possibility and implements a pillar system in Colombia to make the pension system more equitable and expand its coverage.

Health reforms seek to bringing health to communities, predominating the preventive vocation, with diagnosis, examinations and follow-up that manages to detect or prevent diseases in time.  Specifically, it proposes a model focused on primary health care, where health promotion, prevention and prediction of the disease are carried out based on real data.

The TUI-PS&A salutes the political and social change unfolding in Colombia. However, we are not under any illusion that the struggle for these reforms will be easy as they are opposed by the representatives of neoliberalism. As the TUI-PS&A working together with our affiliate in Colombia, we are going to continue mobilising the entire working class and society at large behind the call for the government to implement the progressive reforms without delay.

The TUI-PS&A supports the struggle waged by the working class and all the progressive people of Colombia for a historic change towards the betterment of lives of all the people in this country.

Long live the working class and the poor people of Colombia long live.

 

Issued by General Secretary (WFTU-TUI-PS&A), Zola Saphetha