COLOMBIA: CRUDE BOYS

Colombia solidarity activists are stepping up their campaign against the human rights disaster that is oil giant BP. They are calling out for activists to picket BP’s annual shareholders general meeting next Thursday (15th).

Following the meeting, BP are set to respond the demands of the Colombian oilworkers union USO and the community movement Movimiento de Dignidad por el Casanare, who are calling for a resolution to the crisis at Tauramena Central Processing Facility in Casanare.

After Colombian “anti-mutiny” police violently broke up a month old strike by workers at the facility last month (see SchNEWS 711), hospitalising three workers, BP finally met with union and community representatives - but not before trying (and failing) to run a group of scab workers through the picket line.

An agreement was struck to set up negotiating commissions to deal with labour problems, social investment, goods and services, environment and human rights. However, the process soon broke down and on March 7th the local community staged a mass protest against the company’s failure to address their concerns. On March 23rd, negotiators presented their demands to BP and are now waiting for a response.

The USO is the first union to operate in the paramilitary dominated area and their successes have come at a price. On March 27th, in the nearby city of Villavicencio, two gunmen on a motorbike attacked USO officials, killing their bodyguard.

The BP AGM kicks off at 10.30am at the Excel Conference Centre in London on April 15th.

* see www.info@colombiasolidarity.org.uk

www.sussexcolombiasolidarity.wordpress.com