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Former congressional representative John Leoncio Jaramillo Riaño has filed a series of eight lawsuits, or “Popular Actions” in local tribunals against the use of tanker trucks in municipalities in the Meta Department. The legal action looks to force the national government to build special highways for the tankers.

The USO is riding high this week after reaching a collective agreement last week with the construction contractor CB&I (NYSE:CBI) at the Cartagena Refinery (Reficar) after only three days of a general strike. The organization called it an important step in its struggle.

Representatives from 17 oil companies signed an agreement with the Casanare Departmental government in Yopal that establishes an action plan on social issues, productive projects and road infrastructure for the next two and a half years.

The central government is aware the general royalties system (SGR) is not working as best it could, a little more than a year after its implementation, and is open to making adjustments, according to the Mines and Energy Minister Amylkar Acosta.

In 2012 the oil and financial industries paid their employees the highest of any sector in the national economy, according to the annual report of Colombia’s Federation of Human Management (ARIC).

The USO said they reached an agreement with construction contractor CB&I (NYSE:CBI) at the helm of the expansion of the Cartagena Refinery expansion work days after workers left their post.

Casanare’s Chamber of Commerce held a seminar to assess progress over the last year and the executive director Carlos Rojas said that local businesses cannot continue letting opportunities in the oil industry “pass by their noses”.

Raven Pipeline Colombia, which operates small diameter pipelines, says it has advanced in socialization of its environmental plan, part of the process to obtain a license for its first Project in Colombia in the Paz de Ariporo municipality.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that received attention late August and early September include programs from Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC), The Bicentennial Pipeline and Parex Resources(TSX:PXT).

After almost a month and a half of negotiations, the USO has announced a new general strike among its members working for CB&I (CBI: NYSE), the construction contractor involved in the expansion of the Cartagena Refinery (Reficar).