NDP slams Colombia deal's 'kill-unionist-pay-fine' clause

[Judi Lynn]

NDP slams Colombia deal's 'kill-unionist-pay-fine' clause

Jul 09, 2008 04:30 AM
Linda Diebel
National Affairs Writer

Federal New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton says it's "simply outrageous" for Ottawa to sign a trade deal with Colombia with a clause calling for the South American nation to pay a fine to a special fund whenever a union activist is murdered.

It's not even clear how the fund would work. Nor would the Harper government give any details.

"This shouldn't have even been allowed to cross the first bureaucrat's desk," said Layton, whose party has launched a petition against the trade agreement over the summer.

In Colombia, where the army has been linked to the death squads, 28 trade unionists have been murdered so far this year, according to human rights organizations.

Union groups in Canada and the U.S. oppose any trade deal with the government of Alvaro Uribe.

NDP trade critic Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) – who christened the deal, "kill-a-unionist-pay-a-fine" – said it could turn out to be a "key political decision" of the fall Parliament.

The Harper government announced the trade deal last month, before the parliamentary committee studying trade with Colombia completed its work. A few days later, the committee tabled a report recommending no deal be signed without a human rights review.

More:
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/456896

[dipsydoodle]

1. Maybe a good time to recap this

Colombian Union Activist Speaks Against Coca-Cola : Madison, WI - “I watched as they put a bullet into his head,” said Luis Adolfo Cardona, a former worker at a Colombian Co ca Co la bottling plant. He was speaking of Isidro Segundo Gil, a lead union negotiator at the plant. “I knew I would be next,” Cardona continued. Later that day, Dec. 5, 1996, Cardona was kidnapped and was likely headed for the same fate as his friend until he escaped.
http://www.fightbacknews.org/2004/01winter/colounion.htm

Now go to about 3.30 and watch forward in part 2 of 5 parts of the CH4 Dispatches documentary by Mark Thomas :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4MtFQ8L3nc&feature=related

It's worth watching all 5 parts, given sufficient time.....lol.
1/5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5JXmDApzp4&feature=related
3/5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FFODET77as&feature=related
4/5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRnHsXkZIIU&feature=related
5/5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W9nV7XO4vc&feature=related

I wouldn't drink that crap anyway. I concluded that anything capable of cleaning the dire off +100 year old banjo parts can't be too good for your stomach.