The AFL-CIO, along with labor and human rights advocates from around the world, opposed the United States–Colombia Free Trade Agreement, arguing that Colombia was not an appropriate trade agreement partner because of its history of denying workers' rights. The recent subcontracting at Tampa Cargo illustrates how workers are underpaid while their freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining continues to be denied. 

The practice of subcontracting labor to avoid union representation and cut costs continues to be a problem in Colombia, despite commitments made under the Labor Action Plan agreed upon by Colombia and the United States, and announced in April 2011. The inadequacy of the plan was highlighted again this month when Tampa Cargo, an airline cargo company that makes up a part of the Colombian airline Avianca, laid off 56 security workers with the intent of contracting with a third party. Tampa Cargo says that as a cargo transport airline it cannot have security employees; this is despite the fact that during its 50-year history before merging with Avianca, the company has always had security workers. Tampa will be contracting its airport security via the company “Seguridad Visep,” a company that currently provides security work for Avianca at one Colombian airport.

Workers at Tampa Cargo founded their union, “Association of Tampa Workers,” or “Asotratampa,” in order to counteract the aggressive “outsourcing” policies the company has implemented since it merged with Avianca in 2010. Gustavo Reyes, president of the union, says that Tampa Cargo required the workers to take voluntary retirement as a precondition for not lowering their severance pay. Tampa Cargo reportedly gave the laid-off workers the option of working for Seguridad Visep. However, the union reports that Seguridad Visep already has hired the majority of their new workforce, who are largely workers with little airport security experience. What is clear is that workers who transfer to Seguridad Visep will have worse working conditions, with a lower salary and no benefits.

Making the situation worse, 14 out of the 56 workers laid off were part of the union’s base, dealing a serious blow to the union. After that loss, the union now has only 56 unionized members out of the 700 Tampa Cargo workers. This latest attempt to subcontract jobs to undermine unionized employees underscores the need for sustained pressure on the Colombian government to guarantee the right to organize and to uphold its promises under the Labor Action Plan.

Colombia has been a notoriously dangerous nation for trade unionists struggling to improve their working conditions and receive just compensation. Given such unsafe circumstances, it is expected that workers will find it difficult to stand up to companies that cut corners in order to circumvent union representation. So long as the United States fails to put pressure on Colombia to meet its obligations under the Labor Action Plan, trade unionists in Colombia will continue to risk their lives when committing themselves to organizing for better wages, benefits and job security.

Read more about the U.S.–Colombia Free Trade Agreement and the unfulfilled Labor Action Plan here.