Top Democrats on the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means committees last week lamented what they view as a lack of response from the Labor Department on its assessment of any progress made by Colombia in an ongoing labor dispute under the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement. A Labor Department report, released on Jan. 11 after a six-month investigation, said Colombia fell short of its labor commitments under the agreement and triggered "contact point" consultations between both governments. Oct. 11 marked the end of the time frame for the parties to engage in such consultations in coordination with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the State Department. The report outlined recommendations for the Colombian government to take on labor law enforcement, subcontracting, collective pacts and enforcing prosecutions in cases against unionists.
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