Colombian court smashes strike by coal rail workers

A Colombian court declared a strike at the country's main coal railway illegal on Tuesday, dealing a blow to the union's action for higher salaries.

The court also gave the privately held railway operator the ability to fire workers who walked off the job three weeks ago, officials said.

The 23-day strike by workers at the railway operated by Fenoco has shut off more than 50 percent of coal exports from Colombia, the world's fourth coal exporter, cutting the country's exports by an estimated 4 million tonnes this year.



Source: Reuters