By Natalia Rueda 
A four-day strike by Colombian immigration officials, which severely disrupted operations at the country’s busiest airports, came to an end on Thursday after successful negotiations resulted in a new labor agreement. The strike, which began on December 3, had led to massive delays at airports across Colombia, particularly impacting international flights during the high-traffic year-end holiday season.
Why the strike?
The strike, orchestrated by unions representing Migración Colombia officials, was driven by a combination of longstanding grievances over working conditions, staff shortages, and unsustainable workloads. Workers had also called for significant salary increases, with many saying their compensation did not reflect the demands and pressure of their roles.
A ‘Turtle Plan’ Stalls Airport Operations
To amplify their demands, immigration officials implemented a “turtle plan,” a tactic designed to slow down operations and draw attention to the protest. As a result, airport lines quickly spiraled into chaos, with travelers facing hours of delays at passport control. The disruption was particularly severe at Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport, Colombia’s busiest air hub, where hundreds of passengers were forced to miss flights.
🗞️#EsNoticia | @MigracionCol y la bancada sindical conformada por OSEMCO y UNASEMIGC-MRE, bajo el liderazgo de la @CancilleriaCol, llegaron a un acuerdo que pone fin a la protesta y garantiza la prestación del servicio para todos los viajeros nacionales y extranjeros. pic.twitter.com/402kNxA5Si
— Migración Colombia (@MigracionCol) December 6, 2024
The Deal: Salary Increases and Staffing Boost
After two days of tense negotiations, a breakthrough was achieved on Thursday between union representatives, the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Migración Colombia. The new agreement includes salary increases for immigration workers and a pledge to hire 544 additional staff members for the upcoming year, helping to alleviate the heavy workload on current employees.
Perhaps most significantly, the deal also calls for a comprehensive study to redesign the operations of Migración Colombia, aimed at streamlining procedures, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring better working conditions for staff in the long term.
With information from RTVC Noticias