THE MULTINATIONAL OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM COMPANY IGNORES THE LABOR RIGHTS OF ITS WORKERS IN COLOMBIA

THE UNDERSIGNED UNIONS, AND SOCIAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, PROTEST THE ACTIONS OF OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS. OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM IS THE GREATEST BENEFICIARY OF PLAN COLOMBIA, WHICH HAS ALLOWED IT TO ACCUMULATE HUGE PROFITS THROUGH REPRESSION CARRIED OUT BY THE MILITARY BATTALLION THAT SERVES IT.

FACTS:

1.- The Arauca section of the USO, to which the Occidental Petroleum workers in Colombia belong, presented a collective bargaining proposal on February 26. The modest proposal asked for the recognition of the rights of contract and temporary workers, who have been denied stable employment, just salaries, health and education benefits, etc. It addition it asked for improvements in health coverage for workers and their families, increased education benefits, union leaves, legal clarification of disciplinary procedures, etc.

2.- The atmosphere of war in Arauca has increased ever since Occidental arrived in the Department. It arrived with Battalions that “protect” its installations and have violated the human rights of the inhabitants. The war against the insurgents has intensified and civilians have become the victims of this war, as happened in the case of the bombing of Santo Domingo, where 18 people, including 8 who were children under the age of 12, were killed on December 13, 1998. On August 5, 2005, the military brigade that operates under Occidental’s auspices in Arauca assassinated union leaders Jorge Eduardo Prieto Capucero, Leonel Goneyeche and Héctor Alirio Martínez in Saravena (Arauca). Since that time the war and the repression against Occidental’s workers have worsened.

3.- In 2005 Occidental received 5,218 million dollars in profits from its petroleum operations. Its sales that year reached 15,208 million dollars. Its production costs in 2005 were 195 billion dollars, with 734 billion net profits. From 2000 to 2005 its profits reached 1,290 million dollars. Despite these colossal profits it only has 60 works on its payroll covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement and who have the right to belong to the union. Another 300 union members risk their jobs with contractors who work for Occidental because their union rights are not legally protected.

REQUESTS

We request that the Colombian State guarantee the right to association, negotiation, and mobilization for USO members in Arauca, and the rights guaranteed by our Constitution, and the ILO agreements ratified by Colombia.

We request that Occidental Petroleum respect its workers’ rights, negotiate in good faith with the union, and guarantee human and decent conditions on the job. We request that the Department of Arauca be able to benefit from the colossal profits that the company makes from Arauca’s oil.

We request that the U.S. government suspend its Plan Colombia and withdraw the Battalion that serves only the interests of Occidental Petroleum, continually and seriously violating the human rights of the workers and the inhabitants of the region. We ask that mercenaries and paramilitaries that have worked with the “legal” and illegal forces to violate International Human Rights Law withdraw from the region.

We request that Al Gore, a major shareholder in Occidental Petroleum, insist that the company negotiate in good faith with its workers, extend the Collective Bargaining Agreement to temporary and subcontracted workers, respect the lives and personal integrity of Arauca’s inhabitants, and end Plan Colombia’s military aid that kills innocent people as a way of guaranteeing Occidental Petroleum’s profits.

To all of the workers of the world, and social and human rights organizations, we request that they initiate peaceful protests at Occidental Petroleum’s headquarters, and at U.S. consulates and embassies, demanding an end to military aid to Colombia, respect for the basic rights of the USO workers in Arauca, and that they send letters of protest to the US Congress, demanding that the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia be put on hold because of Colombia’s continuing violation of the right of association, negotiation, and the rights of unions in the country.

SIGNED BY THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:

SINTRAMINERCOL, DEPARTAMENTO DE DERECHOS HUMANOS CUT NACIONAL, Sintramienergética SECCIONAL EL PASO, SINTRAMIN, FENALTRASE, FENASINTRAP, FUNTRAENERGÉTICA, CUT SUBDIRECTIVA BOGOTA Y CUNDINAMARCA, SINTRAELECOL COSTA ATLÁNTICA, UNEB, USO, ASOCIACIÓN ECATE, NOMADESC, ACACEVA, SINTRAENTEMDICCOL, CAMPAÑA PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR, ORGANIZACIÓN WAYUU MUNSURAT, SINTRADEPARTAMENTO ANTIOQUIA.

Bogotá, D.C. Mayo 20 de 2007

Please send letters to the Colombian authorities, to Occidental Petroleum, to U.S. Embassies, and to Al Gore, with copies to the USO in Arauca:

Presidencia de la República

Dr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Cra. 8 No..7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Bogotá.

Fax: (+57 1) 566.20.71 E-mail:

Vicepresidencia de la República

Dr Francisco Santos

E-mail:fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

Ministro de Minas y Energía

Dr. Dr. Hernán Martínez Torres. Transversal 45 No. 26-86 Bogotá. Teléfono (57-1) 324 5262. e-mail: minas.energia@minminas.gov.co

Ministro de Protección Social.

Dr. Diego Palacio Betancourt

Carrera 13 No. 32-76 Piso 22 Bogotá D.C. Teléfono 57-1-3365066 Fax 57-1-3360182. E- mail: Dpalacio@minproteccionsocial.gov.co

Misión Permanente de Colombia ante las Naciones Unidas en Ginebra.

Chemin du Champ d'Anier 17-19, 1209 Ginebra. FAX: (+4122)791.07.87; (+4122)798.45.55- E-mail mission.colombia@ties.itu.int

Embajada de E.U. en Colombia

Calle 22D-Bis #47-51 Tel. 57-1-1 3150811 e-mail AmbassadorB@state.gov

Occidental Petroleum Company, OXY

10889 Wilshire Boulevard Los Ángeles, California 90024-4201

Tel: + 1 310 2088800 Fax: + 1 310 4436977

Estados Unidos

Al Gore

2100 West End Avenue Suite # 620 Nashville, TN  37203 USA

Tel (615) 327 2227. Fax (615) 327 1323

USO Arauca

oscargar3000@yahoo.es