Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-12-10-Speech-1-080-000"
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"en.20121210.16.1-080-000"2
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"Madam President, I am aware of the concerns raised by trade unionists over the safety of their members in Colombia. It was on my initiative last year that the International Trade Union Confederation was invited to address the Committee on Development on human rights and, specifically, the murder of trade unionists in Colombia, in the course of which we were informed of terrible incidents of violence against trade unionists.
This meeting helped to concentrate minds in the Colombian administration, and the Attorney-General and ministers in the Colombian Government came here to listen to us Members of Parliament and our concerns. I am informed that, between April 2012 and August 2012, 128 new trade unions have been successfully established in Colombia. I hope that is the case. Additionally I am informed that land restitution law returns land seized by illegal armed groups to peasants and is a huge progressive development in the region.
I am glad to see that the Governments of Colombia and Peru have made specific commitments to implement human rights clauses and have presented roadmaps to the European Parliament, which we will need to monitor closely. Giving consent to this trade agreement could be seen as a means of promoting continued progress towards better labour standards and improved human rights conditions in both countries. The idea behind this resolution is that trade between the parties provides a means of improving the quality of life of the people of each country, especially the poorest. It is a matter of judgement to decide whether we have made sufficient progress to now move ahead and allow this to go forward. Will this be in the better interests of the working people and the unemployed in Colombia and Peru, or should we stick to the line we held last year?
On balance, if the Commissioner gives the undertakings which we require, I am prepared to consider voting for this agreement, but I want the Commissioner to be firm in his commitment that we will monitor human rights and trade union rights in these areas. It is not acceptable that people who organise the poorest of people in these countries should in any way be terrorised or treated in a violent manner."@en1
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