Eduardo Garzon, Central Workers' Unit president, said more than 200 people were arrested duing the strike and at least 50 people were injured in clashes with police or the military. 

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Thursday, 2 September 1999
 

Colombian union leaders call off nationwide strike 

By Pablo Rodriguez

BOGOTA -- A two-day, nationwide strike to protest President Andres Pastrana's austerity program was called off after union leaders and government representatives reached an agreement, both sides said.

The strike by an estimated 20 million workers around the country officially ended Wednesday at midnight. It was largely successful Tuesday, but mostly ignored on Wednesday.

According to the agreement, government and union representatives will establish negotiating tables to work out the unions' 41-item list of demands, the sources said.

The government, in the agreement, also pledged to release unconditionally all protesters arrested during the strike.

Similarly, the authorities have promised not to retaliate against civil servants who went on strike and to allow them to recuperate any lost wages.

"The Colombian people and workers have won," said union leader Tarcisio Mora after the closed-door meeting that ended in the agreement.

However, he warned, "if the government doesn't do its part, you can expect more action from the Colombian people."

Interior Minister Nestor Martinez said, "what comes next is more discussions," adding that "dialogue and reconciliation" were the right steps to take.

Union leaders organized the open-ended strike to protest Pastrana's tight economic policies and privatizations. On Wednesday they said they were prepared to strike indefinitely.

Only 7.7 percent of the Colombian workforce belongs to a union, so the government dismissed the demands of the three major unions for weeks before the strike.

But the unions managed to win the support of other organizations representing various social groups -- including Indians, peasants and debtors -- which boosted their numbers to some 20 million of the country's 36 million people.

Although the strike's first day was widely observed, many people returned to work Wednesday as the transportation system returned to normal.

Buses and taxis were back on the street in a marked difference to Tuesday when major cities were paralyzed as public transportation ground to a halt.

There was no repeat Wednesday of the violence that ended in the death of a 10-year-old girl caught in police-striker crossfire late Tuesday.

Nonetheless, hundreds of protesters blocked a major highway connecting the capital and Medellin, staging a demonstration on the street some 30 kilometers (25 miles) west of here.

Several people were injured and dozens were arrested when police broke up the demonstrations.

Other clashes occurred in downtown Bogota, Cartagena, Riohacha, Cali, Fusagasuga, Ibague, Pereira and Pasto, police said.

Eduardo Garzon, Central Workers' Unit president, said more than 200 people were arrested duing the strike and at least 50 people were injured in clashes with police or the military.

Union demands included postponing Colombia's public debt, ensuring human and workers' rights in the country and restructuring the government's economic policies.

The strike, according to official estimates, was costing the country some 129 million dollars per day.

Colombia is going through its toughest economic crisis in the last 70 years with a 20-percent unemployment rate -- the highest in Latin America -- and negative economic growth.

The public deficit is running at almost four percent and the unions are calling on Pastrana's government to freeze payments on the country's 35 billion dollar foreign debt.