This article analyzes the case of the Angelópolis and Amagá miners’ union in Antioquia, Colombia. These miners’ political activities have conferred the legitimacy of the workers’ right to health. The petitions and demands in the area of health demonstrate the transition into reality of every worker’s right to be sick, to be protected and secured during illness and to have their health restored. These miners’ political actions are an example of new ways to channel the struggle for rights by means of the opportunities presented by legislation. Their actions are not isolated, rather they represent attitudes present in the labor movement across the country.