Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA)
Technical Cooperation
TAATC works with other governments and international organizations to identify assistance that countries may require to improve the labor conditions of their citizens. TAATC currently has over 25 active technical cooperation projects across the globe that provide approximately $76 million in technical assistance to improve worker rights, livelihoods and labor law compliance. Since 1995, TAATC has developed projects in more than 72 countries addressing a wide range of labor issues:
- Adherence To International Core Labor Standards and Better Work
From FY 2008 - FY2010, Congress has provided $18 million to implement model programs to promote adherence to international core labor standards and improved working conditions through trade incentives in countries with which the United States provides trade preferences (Afghanistan, Colombia, Haiti, Lesotho, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tanzania). - HIV-AIDS Education in the Workplace
Since 2000, launched programs in over thirty countries to educate workers in the behaviors that lead to HIV/AIDS infections, to reduce discrimination in the workplace against workers infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, and to provide referral information for diagnosis and medical assistance (Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Lesotho, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zimbabwe). - Gender Equity in the Workplace
Developed policies and practices for foreign governments and employers that promoted equal treatment and opportunities for women workers (Bangladesh, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India, Morocco and Ukraine). - Strengthening Occupational Safety and Health Inspections
Modernized labor inspectorates providing more effective oversight necessary to ensure that workers are employed in safe environments and that their employment rights are protected (Bahrain, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, and Serbia). - Post-Conflict Assistance
Re-trained, employed and reintegrated demobilized soldiers and people economically dislocated and victimized by war, e.g., those suffering war-connected disabilities and war widows (Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iraq). - Pension Reform
Modernized pension collections and developed voluntary contribution systems for employees in public and private sectors (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia). - Local Economic Development
Developed over 200 community projects in economically distressed regions of Eastern Europe resulting in the creation of small businesses and jobs (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Ukraine). - Improving Labor Law Enforcement
Worked with Ministries of Labor, Labor Courts, and Social Security Institutes to improve their ability to enforce labor laws and protect the rights of workers (Afghanistan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama). - Informing and Empowering Workers and Civil Society
Provided free legal services to over 60,000 workers, trained civil society trainers, developed educational materials, and implemented outreach campaigns on labor laws and rights (Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama).
