USG-FUNDED WORKER RIGHTS CENTERS OPEN IN IZABAL

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000535

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/ILCSR
DOL FOR PCHURCH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB KJUS KDEM PHUM PGOV ECON GT
SUBJECT: USG-FUNDED WORKER RIGHTS CENTERS OPEN IN IZABAL

REF: A. GUATEMALA 253

B. 08 GUATEMALA 1502


1. Summary: On May 28, Emboffs attended the inauguration of
two Worker Rights Centers in the Department of Izabal as part
of the DOL-funded project, "Campo a Campo:Trabajando con
dignidad." The three-year project is implemented by Catholic
Relief Services (CRS) and its local partner, the Social
Pastoral Division of the Apostolic Vicariate of Izabal
(Social Pastorate). It seeks to provide legal and other
support services to agricultural workers, as well as increase
collaboration and information sharing among local
labor-related organizations. This project is targeted at an
area of Guatemala with a large number of agricultural
workers, a sizable indigenous Q'eqchi' population, and a
tradition of short-term employment, all social factors that
contribute to an abnormally high number of labor rights
violations. End Summary.


2. The inauguration of the two Worker Rights Centers was held
in Puerto Barrios and featured remarks by Vice Minister of
Labor Mario Roberto Illescas Aguirre; Monsignor Gabriel
Penate of Social Pastorate; Lucrecia Lopez Lopez of Catholic
Relief Services; Eugenia Juarez Xol, Local Coordinator of the
Centers and a Q'eqchi' lawyer; Selfa Sandoval of the Banana
Workers' Union of Izabal (SITRABI); Morales' parish priest
Daniel Vogt; and Emboff. Attending the inauguration were
members of worker organizations, employers, regional and
central Ministry of Labor representatives, and affiliates of
CRS.


3. The two Centers, located in El Estor and in Puerto
Barrios, cover four municipalities in the department and will
provide information about labor rights to workers visiting
the centers and, through outreach education, to 80 target
communities. The Centers will assist workers in documenting
labor rights violations by recording the complaints in a data
collection system compatible with that of the regional
Ministry of Labor office. The Centers will also provide
follow-up for individual cases, as necessary. All services
will be provided at no cost. The project further seeks to
create the Izabal Worker Rights Network, a local service
network comprised of key stakeholders, such as Ministry of
Labor officials, farmers' and civic groups, labor unions, and
special interest groups to address labor rights issues
throughout the Department.


4. Comment: These Centers should provide an improved
incentive for workers to file grievances for labor rights
violations and may promote enforcement of labor laws. They
build on the Centers already open in Chimaltenango under the
"Todos y Todas Trabajamos" project (reftels),also funded by
DOL and implemented by CRS. However, the two Centers in
Izabal are focused specifically on workers in the
agricultural sector. They will fill a gap in the
dissemination of worker rights information in the area and
reduce the amount of time spent by the regional and central
offices of the Ministry of Labor and the labor court system
on invalid or undocumented claims.
Lindwall