The Antioquia Tennis League threatens to fire its employees in Medellin if they do not pay a percentage of the affiliation fee

On Friday morning, teachers, instructors, and caddies of the Antioquia Tennis League gathered at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium complex in Medellin to block the entrance to the facilities as part of an indefinite strike in response to the new working conditions that would be leaving the protesters without income.

The protesters are expressing their disagreement with the effective changes in their working conditions, which occurred after the arrival of the new executive committee. Currently, Carlos Alberto Calderón Aguilar assumes the presidency, with the accompaniment of Catalina María Sierra Marín, current vice-president of the league, and Jonathan Gómez Giraldo, current treasurer.

You may be interested in: Fraud in the CUT elections? Alleged contempt over court ruling

Monitors, teachers, and caddies would have to pay a percentage of membership to work

For the protesters, the resignation of the executive committee is imperative after it was announced that monitors, teachers, and caddies will have to pay a percentage to the Antioquia Tennis League for the exercise of their work, even though they do not have a salaried relationship with the League.

Currently, the Antioquia Tennis League offers multiple services whose success depends entirely on the performance of monitors, teachers, and caddies. Among the services offered are sports training, assisted practices, tournament organization, corporate tennis, and even high-performance training.

To link up with any of these services, the Antioquia Tennis League has coaches, instructors, and caddies who guide potential users until they become members.

Despite being indispensable functions for the economic success of the League, the protesters, who have given the organization years of work and effort, do not receive financial remuneration for their work, beyond the payment made directly by the users.

You may also be interested in: Manufacturing exports, a pending task in the integration of Latin America

“It is a constant outrage”

As constant “outrage” and “harassment” qualifies Andrés Toro, member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Antioquia Tennis League, the actions imparted by the current executive committee. According to him, the protesters have denounced threats of dismissal, as well as a lack of guarantees in the hiring of some of them, which is for the provision of services for up to two months.

Protesters express the impossibility of reaching fair agreements with the league’s administrative staff, despite presenting their concerns to the executive committee and the president, Carlos Calderón, at a meeting.

The Disciplinary Commission of the Antioquia Tennis League states that in previous administrations the monitors, teachers, and caddies, who are the reason why multiple users acquire membership, did not face difficulties to bring home the necessary money, as they were not required to pay a percentage of affiliation to work.

Now, however, with the changes announced by the committee, the protesters will have to pay a percentage of their income to the League in order to be allowed to continue teaching their students.

Indefinite strike

Nelsón Ortiz, who is part of the humanitarian corridor, states that the actions of the executive committee imply little recognition of the work that the protesters have successfully carried out for years. He points out that, despite their expertise, members of the team of monitors, teachers, and caddies face economic uncertainty as a result of new administrative rulings.

The protesters, who continue to arrive at the main gate of the Antioquia Tennis League, express their concern about the reprisals that could come after declaring the beginning of a strike that demands the dismissal of the members of the organization’s executive committee. However, they express their willingness to remain united to demand the cancellation of the affiliation payment, as well as the dismissal of the new executive committee.

Among the protesters are monitors, teachers, and caddies with 5, 12, 15, and up to 35 years of experience in the organization. All of them ask that optimal conditions be guaranteed to continue working for Colombian tennis.

For their part, some users of the League have expressed their support, because they say that their link to the Antioquia Tennis League is entirely due to the outstanding work of the monitors, teachers, and caddies, whose teaching and guidance work they describe as excellent.

Más Colombia tried to contact the Antioquia Tennis League by phone, but it was not possible.

Continue reading: Rice growers protest: fear for the future of the sector if there is no agreement on rice floor prices and storage incentive