Trade union members across the globe are being asked to support a campaign to bring an end death threats against union representatives at the German multinational Fresenius in Colombia.

Fresenius is a global healthcare and medical technology group, headquartered in Germany, where it is bound by German legislation, and pressure from trade unions, to comply with high quality standards and laws. However, unions say the company operates very differently abroad, with examples of corruption, bribery and tax avoidance, as well as fighting workers’ rights and health and safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic.

Colombia is recognised as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for activists and trade unionists. The Colombian state confirms that 145 social movement leaders were murdered in 2021 alone. While many health workers around the world have organised into trade unions to negotiate safer working conditions, attempts to organise at Fresenius in Colombia were met with at least two of their elected leaders being threatened with death.

The two union reps, Julian Parra and Claudia López, work for the Fresenius subsidiary Quironsalud. They’ve both requested that their German employer publicly denounce these and all similar threats. Claudia reported the details of the threats to local police. Julian was forced to flee Colombia.

Fresenius & Quironsalud have so far ignored or denied repeated official requests made in Colombia, Spain and Germany.

Irish trade union members are being asked to join Claudia and Julian, and their fellow union members internationally, in the call to demand that Fresenius immediately and unconditionally denounce these and any other similar threats against their workers, and to negotiate in good faith with Fresenius workers’ elected trade union representatives.

Instead of silence, the company should be ensuring good faith negotiations with their employees’ union.

You can show your support by signing the petition HERE.