After several days of intense negotiations, the Government of Colombia and representatives of transporters announced in the early hours of this Friday an agreement that determined the lifting of the blockades promoted on strategic roads in the country by truck drivers due to the rise of price of motor fuel oil (ACPM).
This was the agreement that allowed the truckers’ strike to be lifted
1. Increase in the cost of diesel fuel
The Government and freight transporters signed the commitment to increase the cost of diesel fuel by $800 in 2 increments of $400. The first increase will be implemented following the amendment of Resolution 40350 of 2024, and the second will be applied from December 1.
2. Economic relief
The agreement included 14 other points, including suspending additional increases in order to ease the economic burden on carriers until structural transformations are achieved in the sector.
3. Creation of technical tables
It was also agreed to create technical tables that will be responsible for making regulatory adjustments and include all transport stakeholders in the Coastal Information and Tariff System for Motor Freight Transport (SICE-TAC), in order to ensure greater transparency and equity in the regulation of tariffs and costs.
4. Labor reform with a special article on transporters
The Ministry of Labor has committed to include in the labor reform a special article for the transport sector which reflects the needs raised by representatives of public service drivers.
(Read: Not just Colombia Without Hunger: How do I know if I am a beneficiary of another subsidy?)
Truckers strike
Provided
Other important points
The details of the agreement were explained by the Ministers of Transport, Maria Constanza Garcia; of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla; of Labor, Gloria Ines Ramirez; and of Mines and Energy, Andres Camacho.
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Andrés Camacho, highlighted that “At the same time that the strike was lifted, another very good piece of news for the country was achieved: we set an example of how consensus can be built through dialogue and democratic transformation can be achieved in favour of workers.” A situation that kept the country in suspense, but which, in principle, ended in the best way.
(Further: The first activity your brain needs when you wake up: science)
For its part, President Gustavo Petro He expressed his satisfaction with the resolution of the strike. He congratulated the small truck drivers, the citizens for their patience and also the police for not having major interventions.
