Only Flower Union in Antioquia, Colombia Destroyed

When a small union formed at the Bochica Farms plantation in La Ceja, Antioquia in January of 2007, workers immediately began to receive death threats. In the 18 months of its existence, members of the union were harassed, intimidated, and frequently fired for defending their rights.

This spring the union finally moved into negotiations with the company. Unfortunately, the negotiations were recently cut short by the announcement that the plantation was closing. The official order for the liquidation of the plantation was issued this month and all of the workers were fired, effectively destroying the union.

Shortly after, the plantation reopened with a new crew of workers employed under temporary contracts. This is a common strategy in Colombia and elsewhere to prevent workers from organizing and to lower the wages of workers with seniority.

The union was the only independent flower union in Antioquia, Colombia's second largest flower-growing region. It was affiliated to the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) through SINTRAINAGRO, Colombia's largest private sector union.

A brief history of this struggle:

On January 28, 2007, the Unión de Trabajadores de Exportaciones Bochica S.A. CI formed at the EXPORTACIONES BOCHICA SA CI flower company. The following day, the union filed the paperwork for legal recognition from the government.

The manager of the company, Hugo Cifuentes, held a meeting with all of the workers in which he stated that the company did not want a union. Shortly thereafter, he approached several union members and pressured them to disaffiliate. At another meeting, in which individuals in military uniform were present, the manager warned workers of the dangers of forming a union in Colombia.

Two days after this meeting, the union president, treasurer, and auditor received written threats, from the AGUILAS NEGRAS DEL ORIENTE. According to these threats, if the union members did not cease their union activity, they could become military targets.

In April the workers reported that they never received protection from the government's well-publicized "trade union protection program" because their registration was denied, meaning that they are not technically members of a union.

Over the next several months, the union's executive committee was fired twice. The campaign against the union was so effective that it dwindled to 7 members. With the help of SINTRAINAGRO, an agricultural union known for its broad representation in the banana sector, the union eventually received its registration and was able to begin negotiations in 2008.

Following the destruction of this union, there are no independent unions in the entire Antioquian flower sector. Recent victories in the larger flower growing region, however, offer some hope for the future in the Colombian flower industry. Click here for details.