PERU: REQUEST FOR UPDATED INFORMATION FOR DOL PERU

UNCLAS LIMA 002259 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS TO USDOL FOR DOL/ILAB KENNETH SWINNERTON AND DOL/ILAB SUERYUN HAHD; DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/PPC MIKE PUCCETTI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECIN ECON ELAB ETRD EAID PE SUBJECT: PERU: REQUEST FOR UPDATED INFORMATION FOR DOL PERU LABOR RIGHTS REPORT REF: A. LIMA 1527 ¶B. SWINNERTON E-MAIL 5/31/2007 ¶1. Per e-mail reference, post has contacted host government officials to clarify information previously provided for DOL's Peru Labor Rights Report. In most cases, the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion (MTPE) was the most appropriate source of information, although in some cases the data requested was not available. Responses are keyed to reference B cited above. ¶2. Labor Inspection Data ¶A. Number of Labor Inspectors The MOL has confirmed that as of June 1, 2007, there were 316 labor inspectors working in the Ministry of Labor, 222 in Lima and Callao, and 94 in other regions. The MOL plans to hire 250 more inspectors by the end of calendar year 2007. The 100 labor inspectors sworn in on March 20, 2007 were not included in the figures cited in reftel A, because the MOL considers newly-hired employees "auxiliaries," trainees who have yet to assume full-time duties. The latest figure does include these new hires. ¶B. Amount of Fines The MOL was unable to explain why, according to data previously provided, the number and value of fines assessed in 2005 and 2006 were roughly equal, even though significantly fewer inspections took place in 2006. MOL officials said the system of data collection is reliable and suggested the difference may reflect an effort on the part of labor inspectors to target the most serious infractions of labor law. ¶3. Number of registered trade unions ¶A. Public sector unions According to the MOL, 217 registered unions are in the public sector. ¶B. Union membership rate In 2006, 8.1 per cent of the formal sector workforce was union members. ¶4. Union Confederations According to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center in Lima, the four major labor confederations in Peru are the Peruvian Workers Confederation (CTP),with approximately 250,000 workers; the General Confederation of Peruvian Workers (CGTP),with 1.5 million workers; the Unitary Confederation of Workers (CUT),with 40,000 workers; and the Autonomous Workers Central of Peru (CATP),with 25,000 workers. Information previously provided about the ideological and political affiliations of the confederations and on the types of organizations belonging to each confederation remains unchanged. The Solidarity Center notes that labor confederations are not required by the GOP to document membership claims. The Unitary Trade Union of Education Workers (SUTEP, affiliated with the CGTP),for example, claims to represent 350,000 teachers. A more likely figure is 80,000 members. ¶5. Intention to Strike A "declared intention to strike," as used by the MOL in reftel A is synonymous with an "occurrence" of a strike. ¶6. Collective Bargaining Agreements In 2004, 384 collective bargaining agreements existed, covering 105,946 workers; in 2005, 390 agreements covering 112,760 workers; and in 2006, 453 agreements covering 121,261 workers. ¶7. Post has obtained the source documents for the information provided and will forward them via expedited delivery to Kenneth Swinnerton; USDOL; 200 Constitution Avenue, NW; Room S-5303; Washington, DC 20210. STRUBLE