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News | 16.06.2010
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On June 5th the Treasurer of the POA’s sister trade union in Colombia was shot dead as a direct result of his trade union work. Mr Hernan Abdiel Ordonez was shot four times as he walked with his mother in the Colombian city of Cali. As well as treasurer he was a member of the National Executive Committee of ASEINPEC – the Association of Colombian Prison Officers.
Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist and over 2,700 union activists have been killed in the past 20 years. Already this year 30 union leaders have been killed.
The POA is asking all members to contact their local MPs about this latest killing and urge them to call on our Government to put pressure on the Colombian regime to end the murders of our colleagues in that country. Steve Gillan, POA General Secretary, has already written to the Foreign Secretary – a copy of his letter is here.
Below is a draft letter for you to send to your MP. You can find out who your MP is here (http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/) and get more information about the situation in Colombia here (www.justiceforcolombia.org) at the website of Justice for Colombia to which the POA is affiliated.
DRAFT LETTER
Dear Member of Parliament,
I am writing to you to request that you contact the Foreign Office and urge them to protest to the Colombian authorities about the recent murder of Colombian trade union leader Hernan Abdiel Ordonez. Mr Ordonez was assassinated on June 5th this year in the city of Cali. He was the national treasurer of ASEINPEC, the Colombian trade union representing prison officers.
As you are no doubt aware Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist and the Colombian regime continues to allow union leaders and activists to be murdered with impunity. Many others are imprisoned without trial or forced to flee their homes and jobs due to threats.
Despite the Colombian authorities claiming that the situation is getting better the facts are that each year more and more trade unionists are being assassinated – 48 during 2009 and another 30 already this year. It is unacceptable that these abuses continue and I hope you will make it clear to the Foreign Office that intense pressure needs to be put on the Colombian regime until they end their anti-trade union policies and put an end to the killings.
Yours sincerely,