Historia del sindicalismo en Colombia, 1850-2013

Abstract

This book covers the history of the Colombian trade union movement during the last 164 years. It includes an analysis of the periods of state support to the movement and of the times when workers´ struggles and strike action were persecuted. State intervention has been a constant in the history of the trade union movement in the country. This book is an attempt to explain the ways in which changes to labor law have influenced the structure of the trade union movement, its negotiating power, its impact on national economic development, and its influence on the welfare of workers. Finally, the book focuses on the scale of the movement over time, defined as the relation between union members and the overall workforce. It explores potential explanations of the overall decline in trade union density –a pattern established by the early years of the 21st Century- and why society must support the movement if economic growth, welfare, justice and equity are to be achieved in Colombia.