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The spokesperson of the CUT informed that in October 10th they will have the first street protest on behalf of the students and the Colombian university community, and then set the bases for the second call for national concentration scheduled for October 17 of this year.
The Unitary Central of Workers of Colombia (CUT) announced a day of protests and a general strike against Colombian President Ivan Duque's proposals concerning labor and pension reforms. The organization is also calling for peace in the country where at least 52 former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been killed this year alone.
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CUT spokesperson said that on Oct. 10 they will hold the first street protests along with university students for the right to demonstrate after several universities in the capital region of Bogota were attacked, unprovoked, by state security forces during the past month. A second protest is scheduled for Oct. 17 in all department capitals against the government's labor and pension reforms. Demonstrations at the national level are scheduled for Nov. 21 against the same reforms.
"We will denounce the attacks on peace and human rights, especially the genocide against social movements," CUT declared Wednesday.
According to the CUT statement, Duque wants "to remedy with more of the same cuts in state expenditures to education and health, ... and impose new taxes on the people, and continue in free trade treaties."
#Atención
— CUT Colombia (@cutcolombia) 5 de octubre de 2019
Encuentro Nacional de Emergencia acuerda
-Apoyo a movilización estudiantil: 10 de Octubre
-Toma a Capitales: 17 de Octubre
-Paro Nacional: 21 de Noviembre
Contra Duque, sus reformas laboral y pensional. Por el cumplimiento de los acuerdos y el derecho a la protesta pic.twitter.com/pWWAZnJIGI
All organizations involved in these demonstrations expressed that they will defend the constitutional right to protest in Colombia.
The CUT reported that the new labor policies that the president of Colombia intends to formalize would deteriorate the labor sector, so they are willing to turn to the streets to demonstrate against them. Among the proposed changes are to: establish hourly wages by region, and the elimination of overtime, weekend and holiday pay, along with the compensation package when dismissed from a job.
They also pointed out that President Duque is trying to "increase the age at which workers can withdrawl their pension, increase the contribution, ... and establish an individual savings system, which eliminates solidarity," says the CUT.
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