HUNGER STRIKE AT ECOPETROL

On 20 October at 11.30am, members of USO, the Colombian Oil Workers' Union started a hunger strike in protest at attempts by the government to sell the state owned oil refinery in Cartagena. Hernando Meneses, Rodolfo Vecino (both members of USO National Executive) Jorge Ortega (President of the USO Cartagena branch), Edgar Mojica (USO Commission for Peace and Human Rights) and Rafael Carbarcas (Union adviser) have all joined the action.

Last year, workers at the state oil company Ecopetrol carried out a strike to stop the privatisation of their employer. The government backed down agreeing not to privatise Ecopetrol and to implement the "Cartagena Master Plan", to ensure the successful management of the company as a state asset. Despite this however, the government has announced plans to sell oil fields to transnationals and to privatise the Cartagena oil refinery.

USO has clearly demonstrated that the implementation of the "Master Plan" would benefit the oil refinery at Cartagena, and has developed different plans to make this a reality. However, both government and company management are insisting that the sell-off to private capital is the only solution for the company.

In the face of government intransigence, members of the union have been forced to take action to defend our national sovereignty. The hunger strike aims to bring this issue to international attention and to mobilise the people of Cartagena and Colombia to defend our national patrimony and to demand that the Colombian government respects agreements with the union.

We also call on the government to work with USO and the Colombian people to seek solutions that will strengthen Ecopetrol and turn the company into a source of social development and the construction of peace for Colombia.

I would like to express my solidarity with those USO members currently on hunger strike, as with all workers at USO, who over the years have been directly responsible for creating Ecopetrol and converting it into the most profitable national company.

I ask that the appropriate medical organisations are able to give all necessary medical attention to those on hunger strike, and that security is guaranteed for those on hunger strike and their supporters. This action to save Ecopetrol is taking place in the offices of the People's Defender in the city of Cartagena.

HERNANDO HERNÁNDEZ P. CANDIDATE FOR THE SENATE 2006. Bogotá, 21 October 2005

Colombia Solidarity Campaign adds:

Please send messages of protest supporting the workers of USO, (sample message below) to the Colombian authorities at:

President Alvaro Uribe Velez: auribe@presidencia.gov.co

Vice President Francisco Santos: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

Colombian embassy in the UK: mail@colombianembassy.co.uk

Copied to USO via the Colombia Solidarity Campaign at

Colombia_sc@hotmail.com

siehe dazu auch die Homepage der Gewerkschaft USO

Dear Sir

I am writing to express my concern for the continued attempts by the Colombian government to privatise the state oil company Ecopetrol. Members of USO, the oil workers' union, have been forced to initiate a hunger strike in the city of Cartagena, due to government intransigence and the lack of political will to fulfil previous agreements with the trade union. They understand that Ecopetrol, as the state's most profitable asset, should be used as a source of social development and peace in the country, and not handed over to the interests of private capital, continuing the poverty and misery of the majority of the Colombian people.

We unconditionally support the just struggle of members of USO to defend the patrimony of the Colombian people, and we call on the Colombian government to immediately comply with the agreements that they signed on 26 May 2004 to maintain Ecopetrol as a state owned company.

Furthermore, we hold the Colombian government responsible for all damage to the health of those brave trade unionists currently on hunger strike, since it is the stubbornness and intransigence of the Colombian government that has led to this crisis.

Yours sincerely

HUELGA DE HAMBRE EN ECOPETROL

El día 20 de octubre a las 11.30 a.m., los compañeros Hernando Meneses, Rodolfo Vecino de la Junta Nacional de la USO, Jorge Ortega Presidente de la USO subdirectiva de Cartagena, Edgar Mojica de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos y Paz de la USO y Rafael Cabarcas asesor del sindicato iniciaron una huelga de hambre para protestar y rechazar la decisión del gobierno de vender la refinería de Cartagena.

El año pasado los trabajadores de la estatal petrolera, realizaron unahuelga que tenía como uno de sus motivos impedir la privatización de ECOPETROL. Pese a que durante el desarrollo de este conflicto el gobierno nacional acordó con la USO la no privatización de ECOPETROL y la ejecución directa del Plan Maestro de Cartagena el gobierno incumplió los compromisos anunció la venta de la refinería de Cartagena y vienen entregando los campos a las Multinacionales.

La USO ha demostrado que es posible realizar el Plan Maestro para mejorar la refinería de Cartagena y ha presentado distintas alternativas para que esto sea posible, el gobierno y la administración de ECOPETROL insisten en que la única solución es su venta al capital privado.

En vista de tanta terquedad del gobierno los compañeros en una acto de soberanía y de resistencia se han visto obligados a realizar una huelga de hambre, que tiene como propósito llamar a la solidaridad internacional y convocar al pueblo colombiano y especialmente a la población de Cartagena, para que defendamos este patrimonio de los colombianos y a que hagamos respetar los acuerdo suscritos entre el gobierno y el sindicato.

De igual manera, llamo al gobierno nacional para que con el sindicato y la sociedad encuentren una solución que permita fortalecer a ECOPETROL, para que sus utilidades sean invertidas en el desarrollo social y la construcción de la paz en Colombia.

Estoy expresando mi más firme solidaridad con los compañeros huelguistas,los trabajadores y la USO, quienes realmente son los que han creado y consolidado a ECOPETROL como la primera Empresa nacional.

Solicito de los organismos respectivos la atención médica y de seguridad para quienes se encuentra realizando esta huelga por la salvación de ECOPETROL, en las instalaciones de la Defensoría del Pueblo en la ciudad de Cartagena.

HERNANDO HERNÁNDEZ P.
CANDIDATO AL SENADO 2006-2010

Bogotá, 21 de octubre de 2005