The USO said that after two prior attempts in which they were forced out, the union has made “an official presence” in the Rubiales field, part of an ongoing political campaign to call for the return of the field to full Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) control in 2016.
The Interior Ministry has signed a series of agreements with Putumayo residents, who have agreed to lift blockades and stop protests that have dogged the region for more than two months. The agreement followed a tentative accord two weeks ago.
The 2014-2018 collective bargaining agreement took 40 days of formal negotiation and 15 days to write, and has not yet been in effect for around two weeks, but already conflicts are brewing between Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) and its largest union the USO.
Pacific Rubiales says it has made the Down Jones Sustainability index again, while a national paper highlights Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects from oil operators that benefit women and students. These and other CSR related stories in our routine coverage.
The USO says it is intricately involved in blockades at access points to La Ciras Infantas Field, where the fields operators Occidental Occidental (NYSE:OXY) and Ecopetrol have been reducing the amount of services hired.
After nearly two months of protests in Putumayo the government has agreed to form a permanent dialogue with the department in the Puerto Asís in order to find a solution to end the ongoing dispute where oil infrastructure and security is a principal issue.
Blockades of the La Cira Infantas field have prohibited access to the administration facilities and led the operators of the field to suspend six contracts, affecting 700 workers associated with the project.
Liria Manrique López, a delegate of labor rights NGO Coljusticia claims that oil companies have turned to lawyers and legal processes to counter community and union critics, a practice she says is designed to stamp out opposition to the industry.
With the Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) collective bargaining agreement behind it, the USO has reset its sights on its next big political target: revert the Rubiales field back to Ecopetrol, and in turn, back to USO affiliated workers.
Hardly a term used in anti-oil circles two weeks ago, a campaign against fracking has made its way to Meta from Huila as it receives attention from Colombia’s green party as well.
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