Entradas
TRADE UNIONS
“El único sindicato al que le creo, es al Sindicato Antioqueño”
I wanted to start with that old joke; and as you continue reading my blog you could think am a little pessimist with the situation of my country Colombia, but is not true, I do believe in a better future but is important to see and keep in mind the real facts.
The most of trade unions in Colombia are just groups of people trying to defend their personal interest but no defending every worker rights as it should be done. But also they have been suffering mistreats from more bodies, that directly attack to ones who really defend the workers.
Internationally speaking they were one the creations of the Industrial Revolution, a phenomenon occurred in Europe, Germany in its capitalist side supported the workers rights. So in Europe we could expect to see a better or higher participation in trade unions. Nevertheless the situations around the world are not the best for that, Spain is facing an increase on its unemployment rates, North Korea doesn’t allow them, and I already talk a little about Colombia.
21 de mayo de 2010, 6:51
That's true. The structure of our societies in terms of labor environment is quite different from that of Europe or US. Although unions are conceived to defend the rights of workers and improve their work conditions, in reality that stays just in good ideas and words. While in US trade unions are effective distributing income since the wage differential for workers unionized with lower pay is 30% and for workers with higher earnings is 10%, in Colombia it helps to concentrate income. That is because the highest rate of unionization in Colombia is seen among professional workers and, paradoxically, the lowest among workers operators. This means that, against the evidence from other countries, unions in Colombia increased wage dispersion among employees, because those who benefit from collective agreements already have a differential in favor, by the fact of being qualified.
Amazing how in Colombia (and for sure in many countries), even with ideals of equality (socialism?) those ideas put in practice are not effective.