The Ministry of Labour, trade union confederations and organisations, and representatives of employers' associations and companies in the banana and oil palm sectors launched the Urabá Sectoral Technical Committee on Bananas and Oil Palm in Apartadó, with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
This permanent tripartite coordination platform aims to promote joint action to address the challenges and opportunities facing two of the country's most prominent agricultural value chains through social dialogue.
The committee was approved on 29 September by Antioquia's Departmental Subcommittee on the Consultation of Wage and Labour Policies, making it the first subcommittee in the country to establish a regional sectoral committee. For the Ministry of Labour, this initiative serves as a pilot model that other subcommittees can replicate to promote sectoral social dialogue in other territories and agricultural sectors.
Roberto Sarasti de los Ríos, Territorial Director for Antioquia at the Ministry of Labour, described the launch of the technical committee for the banana and oil palm sectors as a milestone in labour relations and social dialogue. "We are building social ties between workers, the public sector and employers to foster new relationships and continue to drive development in this very important region," he said.
The initial issues identified by the stakeholders for discussion within the committee include climate-related challenges, exchange rate fluctuations and international competitiveness; the relationship between formalisation, productivity and working conditions; and generational renewal in rural employment. "As an oil palm sector, we are very interested in building partnerships that benefit our workers. These social dialogue spaces are essential in Urabá, where we can come together to consider the needs of the region," said Marcela Díaz Suarez, Administrative Director of BIOPLANTA S.A.S., an oil palm extraction company based in Urabá.
Meanwhile, Juan Esteban Álvarez, President of the Board of Directors of the Colombian Association of Banana Growers (AUGURA) and ANDI representative at the event, highlighted the high expectations surrounding the new sectoral technical committee. "In Urabá, we have developed a bargaining model in the banana sector that has delivered very positive results for many years. We want Urabá to serve as an example, because social dialogue can translate into better working conditions for workers, and Urabá is proof of that," he said.
During the event, participants were introduced to the key elements underpinning effective social dialogue: the committee's membership, the preliminary schedule of meetings, planning exercises and arrangements for monitoring those responsible for the process. This platform is expected to help strengthen competitiveness and productivity in the banana and oil palm sectors, with decent work, respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, and social dialogue as its guiding pillars.
Representing the trade union movement, Guillermo Rivera, President of Sintrainagro, said: "We hope to see a commitment from employers, the Ministry of Labour and other institutions to finding solutions to workers' problems."
Among the commitments made by the newly launched Sectoral Technical Committee are agreeing on a schedule for upcoming meetings and confirming the delegates who will attend the next session, with a view to continuing to strengthen inter-institutional coordination between public- and private-sector stakeholders.
Teresa Torres, ILO Country Coordinator for Colombia, highlighted the importance of this social dialogue initiative. "Social justice is built in the territories. Urabá has already shown that social dialogue can turn differences into agreements. This committee is an opportunity to do so once again, this time bringing the banana and oil palm sectors together," she said.
The ILO is providing technical support to the committee, led by the Ministry of Labour, through the projects Setting wages and living incomes: a focus on agriculture (SAW-A) and Setting adequate wages: a focus on the banana sector(SAW-B), funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and German development cooperation (GIZ).
This support will include methodological facilitation and a regional study on productivity and enabling conditions.
The event also brought together representatives from the Ministry of Labour at national, departmental and local levels; the Government of Antioquia; COMFAMA; the occupational risk insurers (ARLs) Positiva and Colmena; the departmental branches of the trade union confederations CGT, CTC and CUT; the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI); local mayors' offices; 3F; CNV; and the International Labour Organization.
