Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body - Report No 355, November 2009

Case No 2554 (Colombia) - Complaint date: 05-MAR-07 - Closed

Effect given to the recommendations of the Committee and the Governing Body

1. 56. The Committee last examined this case at its March 2009 meeting [see 353rd Report, para. 86, approved by the Governing Body at its 304th Session]. On that occasion, with regard to the transfer without regard to the established process of a number of officials and members of the Trade Union Association of Teachers of Norte de Santander (ASINORT) (Nydia Rene Gafado Rojas, Jairo Pavón Capacho, Jairo Manuel Leal Parada, Rodolfo Bello Merchán (who received death threats for refusing to accept the transfer), Hermelina Jaimes de Guerrero, Ana Rosa Valencia Granados and Blanca Inés García (members)), the Committee requested the Government to carry out an investigation to determine whether the established transfer procedure had been respected or whether the measure was of an anti-union nature.
2. 57. In a communication dated 18 May 2009, the Government refers to the information provided by the Territorial Directorate of Norte de Santander, according to which there has been no administrative labour investigation into the Ministry of Education of Norte de Santander for violations of freedom of association and the right to organize.
3. 58. The Committee regrets that the investigation requested has not been conducted, and again requests the Government to take the necessary steps to ensure that an investigation, to determine whether the established transfer procedure was respected for the trade union officials and members or whether the measure was of an anti-union nature, is conducted without delay. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed in this regard.