Colombia Banana Strike Ends in Union Victory
The 14-day strike of 16,000 banana workers launched by SINTRAINAGRO on May 26 in the Colombian province of Urab� has ended in union victory.
A new two-year collective agreement preserves the permanent employment status of banana workers, marking a defeat for the employers' efforts to casualize the workforce through subcontracting and "seasonal" employment contracts. The new agreement also provides for an 8 percent wage increase for the first year and indexing to inflation in the second.
SINTRAINAGRO credits the international support of the IUF and strong support from Colombian labour with helping to achieve this important victory. The strike cost the employers over 25 million US dollars, a lesson which the union hopes will not be lost in future negotiations.