British unions call for action over recent threats against Colombian trade unionists

Britain’s Trades Union Congress (TUC), nine affiliated unions and the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) have contacted Colombian governmental authorities over recent threats against a number of trade unionists who have worked with Justice for Colombia.

On 22 April, the CUT federation, Colombia’s equivalent of the TUC, condemned threats and smears against members of its Executive Committee and that of the FECODE teachers’ federation. It said they had been falsely labelled as ‘guerrillas’ for openly supporting the governing coalition of President Gustavo Petro. Given the high levels of anti-union violence committed so far in 2025, the British unions urged Colombian authorities to act swiftly to investigate the aggressions and to ensure security. Several of those named have attended trade union conferences in Britain, met with JFC delegations in Colombia and spoken at JFC-organised online events.

Alongside the TUC and the GFTU, the unions that have signed the letter are UNISON, the NEU, EIS, GMB, Equity, AUE, NASUWT, POA and the BFAWU. This latest action again demonstrates the high commitment of the trade union movement to supporting organised labour in Colombia.

Read or download the letter here.