VZCZCXRO3518
RR RUEHLA
DE RUEHGT #0535 1592029
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 082029Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7592
INFO RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 0089
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

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