Minister of Labor accuses Van Camp’s of mistreatment of workers: “They have to use diapers”
Juse within the framework of the definition of the Current Legal Monthly Minimum Wage (SMMLV) for Colombian workers for the year 2024, in which the Minister of Labor has a central role, this controversy occurs that convulses the spirits between the parties. And just as Gloria Ins Ramírez has been a topic of conversation, for her statements on the subjectnow adds one more statement to the context.
It was within the framework of an official press conference, in which he spoke about various issues regarding working conditions in the country, that Ramrez accused various sectors of abuses against their workers. But By giving the specific name of a seafood company, it was taken as a formal accusation and the commotion was very big..
Furthermore, when the current Government of Gustavo Petro has had controversies with private companies and industries, making the relationship between the private and public sectors more than complicated.
Colombia’s Minister of Labor accuses Van Camp’s of mistreating its workers
In the statements that were intended to raise an alert about improper working conditions in some sectors of the national economy, Gloria Ins Ramrez expres: “We have found, in many of the visits we have made, fundamentally, the inspectors who have gone to the flower area, to the tuna: Van Camps, for example. It has been found that the conditions in which these women exercise their work, they are not the best”.
Although the head of the Labor portfolio was making superficial mention and putting a “example”, the aforementioned company was the one that was singled out in public and with a direct accusation from the Government. But The details that were heard later are more serious and reflect an alleged attack on human rights and dignity.speaking specifically about women:
For example, they don’t have time to go to the bathroom, which is something so typical of human beings and the machine that we are. So, we are working so that these conditions of exercise of work and trades have human dignity. We have found some workers who have to use a diaper, because they do not have the necessary time to go to the bathroom.
Van Camp’s response to the accusation of the Minister of Labor
Given the commotion that occurred in the media and social networks, many supporters of the National Government andfollowers of Gustavo Petro began to promote campaigns and movements to ‘cancel’ the food brand and point them out as violators of women’s rights. For this reason, a few hours later, the official statement came out to respond to this case:
Seatech International Inc., manufacturer of the Atn Van Camp’s brand, strongly rejects Ms. Minister of Labor, Gloria Ins Ramrez, about the working conditions of our collaborators. You cannot attack and stigmatize a company in that way
As it is not the first time that something like this happens with people who make up the current national administration, which is the first of leftist currents and ideas in the history of the country. Therefore, the response is focused on the stigmatization of private company and an alleged attack on those who create jobs in Colombia.
And to close, remembering the years in the country and employment figures, The company clarified that it will resort to the law to clarify the matter and clear Van Camp’s name.:
This goes against more than 35 years of work, bearing on the country and generating decent employment. The company and its 1,800 employees reiterate that what was stated is not true and proceed to defend yourself from this attack, under the law and regulations in force in Colombia
As this occurred on the night of Wednesday, December 27, 2023, no clarifications or developments were given to the case. But since midnight on the 28th, complaints from the opposition to Gustavo Petro, Gloria Ins Ramírez and related to the current National Government of Colombia began to arise.
