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Salarios y Prestaciones de Trabajadores de Contratistas Independientes en Empresas Petroleras deben ser los Mismos de Trabajadores de Empresa Beneficiaria

María Fernanda Abril
26 de Junio de 2012

Dicha obligación surge con motivo de la expedición del Decreto 284 de 1957 que al momento de su expedición tuvo carácter transitorio, pero que luego fue adoptado como legislación permanente por medio de la ley 141 de 1961.

El mencionado Decreto dispone en su artículo 1º lo siguiente:

“Cuando una persona natural o jurídica dedicada a los ramos de exploración, explotación, transporte o refinación de petróleo realice las labores esenciales y propias de su negocio o de su objeto social mediante el empleo de contratistas independientes, los trabajadores de éstos gozarán de los mismos salarios y prestaciones a que tengan derecho los de la empresa beneficiaria en la respectiva zona de trabajo, de acuerdo con lo establecido en las leyes, pactos, convenciones colectivas y fallos arbitrales.”

Frente al tema es importante conocer cuales empresas están obligadas a cumplir con dichas obligaciones.
El Decreto 3164 de 2003 que modificó el Decreto 2719 de 1993 dispuso:

“Para los efectos del artículo 1º del Decreto 284 de 1957, constituyen labores propias y esenciales de la industria del petróleo las siguientes:

Los levantamientos geológicos, geofísicos, geodésicos, topográficos, destinados a la exploración y evaluación de yacimientos de hidrocarburos.
La operación de perforar pozos de hidrocarburos desde el inicio de la perforación hasta la terminación, completamiento o taponamiento del mismo.
La operación y reacondicionamiento de pozos de hidrocarburos.
La operación técnica de cerrar y abandonar un pozo que haya servido para la explotación de hidrocarburos, incluyendo los de inyección de fluidos para recuperación secundaria, pozos inyectores de aguas residuales u otro cualquiera requerido para el manejo y desarrollo del campo.
La operación de los sistemas de recolección, separación, tratamiento, almacenamiento y transferencia de hidrocarburos.
La operación del sistema de bombeo y tuberías que conducen los hidrocarburos hasta los tanques de almacenamiento, y desde ahí a los puntos de embarque o de refinación.
La operación de facilidades de levantamiento artificial y las instalaciones de recuperación secundaria y terciaria de petróleo.
La operación de los sistemas de tratamiento térmico, eléctrico y químico que permitan hacer más fácil o económico el bombeo de petróleo.
La construcción, control, operación y mantenimiento técnico de los equipos y unidades de procesos propias de la refinación del petróleo.
La construcción, operación y mantenimiento técnico de las tuberías, tanques y bombas para transporte de petróleo crudo, productos intermedios y finales de las refinerías.

PARÁGRAFO. Es entendido que las actividades de descontaminación ambiental que tengan que desarrollarse como consecuencia de daños ocasionados por actos dolosos, no son labores propias o esenciales de la industria del petróleo.”

Por lo anterior es importante que las empresas que ejecuten las labores anteriormente descritas, tengan en cuenta cuales son las obligaciones laborales adicionales en cuanto a salarios y prestaciones de la empresa beneficiaria de sus servicios, con el fin de evitar reclamaciones laborales que puedan perjudicar sus intereses.

Labor Reform Approved in Second Debate in the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives approved the labor reform bill presented by the National Government with 93 votes in favor and 13 against. The approved bill contains 81 articles, including provisions for increasing remuneration on mandatory rest days from 75% to 100%, to be phased in by 2027; formalizing employment for community mothers; establishing employment contracts for SENA students; and providing paid leave for medical appointments, school commitments, union commissions, or domestic emergencies, and extending paternity leave to up to 4 weeks.

Articles removed include parental leave for same sex adopting couples, increased compensation for dismissal without just cause, and the agricultural contract.

Eight articles were added addressing formalization and employment for cargo and passenger transportation workers, programs for first and last employment, promotion of sustainable work, flexible work environments, among others.

The bill will now proceed to the Seventh Senate Committee for the final two debates.

Resolution No. 532 of 2024 UGPP: Establishing a Cost Assumption Scheme for Self-employed Workers and Those Who Enter Contracts

Recently, the Special Administrative Unit of Pension Management and Social Security Contributions (“UGPP” by its initials in Spanish) issued Resolution 532 of 2024, establishing a cost assumption scheme for self-employed workers and those who enter contracts other than personal service provision contracts, involving subcontracting and/or the purchase of supplies or expenses, based on the economic activities listed in the International Standard Industrial Classification (CIIU). This scheme also applies to cases where the economic activity is public motor freight transport by road, as a method to establish the base contribution income (IBC).

To apply the presumed cost coefficient, the obligated party must refer to the section of economic activities generating their monthly gross income during the period they received it and apply the corresponding cost percentage.

If the income comes from multiple economic activities, the corresponding cost percentage for each activity must be applied.
Specifically, for the public motor freight transport sector by road, a general cost presumption scheme was defined for self-employed workers and for employers who have verified social security contributions for the drivers they have employed. They can deduct the cost percentage established in the resolution, based on the range of gross income and the number of drivers.

As an exception, a different cost percentage can be set, provided supporting documents are available and requirements established in Article 107 of the Tax Code are met without exceeding the values included in the income tax return.

This resolution will apply from November 1, 2024.

Ministry of Labor Proposes Regulations for Reporting Major Incidents or Accidents in Classified Facilities

The Ministry of Labor has published a draft resolution to regulate procedures for reporting major incidents and accidents in classified facilities, aligning with international industrial safety standards to promote a safer and more responsible work environment.

The draft specifies that the person responsible for the facility must report any major incident or accident within two hours of occurrence, using the Ministry’s designated digital tool.

The resolution also defines criteria for classifying an event as a major incident, including severe injuries, fatalities, property damage, and significant chemical containment losses.

The responsible party must expand the report as the emergency response concludes and calculate annual process safety metrics, reporting them through the same digital tool.

New rules on paternity leave introduced in Colombia

Author: Daniel Salazar López

The Colombian Congress has passed Act 2141 (August 10, 2021) whereby a further protection has been granted to parents. Act 2141 incorporates several new provisions on labor matters and, in particular, on maternity and paternity privileges. The following are the most important aspects of the new law:

Maternity leave was extended from three (3) months to eighteen (18) weeks after childbirth.
Unless an authorization is obtained from the Labor Inspector, or the Municipal Mayor in the corresponding case, the dismissal of a worker, whose spouse, partner or permanent partner is pregnant or within eighteen (18) weeks after childbirth and is not formally employed, is prohibited. If dismissal occurs, the dismissed employee shall be entitled to the additional payment of an indemnity equivalent to sixty (60) days of salary.
In addition, the indemnities and benefits that correspond by virtue of the employment contract shall be recognized.
Paternity leave is not extended to the worker when his/her spouse, partner or permanent partner is in stable employment.
Maternity leave is also extended to the parents in the same proportion during the 18 weeks following childbirth.
The worker must notify the employer, verbally or in writing, of the pregnancy status of his/her spouse, partner or permanent partner and declare under oath that he/she does not have a stable job or that he/she is not a beneficiary of the Social Security Health System. Within the notification, the worker must present the necessary examinations and for this purpose she will have a term of up to one (1) month to prove the pregnancy status.

This new legislation is intended to protect the constitutional right to equality between men and women in the work environment and in harmony with the family environment.