Other USDOL-funded Workers Rights Projects in El Salvador
The Department of Labor has a strong history of working with El Salvador to ensure that workers' rights are protected and that children do not engage in exploitive child labor.
Projects currently funded by DOL
Ensuring Benefits in the Formal Sector in El Salvador: Compliance with the Salvadoran Institute of Social Security (ISSS) Laws (October 2008 – October 2011)
DOL is providing $940,000 to help workers monitor their employers' payments into the social security institute and improve the enforcement capacity of the ISSS. The project also aims to increase ISS enforcement capacity and awareness among employers of how to properly pay Social Security benefits and the consequences of non-compliance.
Cumple y Gana III (October 2008 – October 2012)
DOL is providing $8.83 million for six countries in Central America, including El Salvador, to help Labor Ministries make maximum use of resources by strategically targeting their labor inspection activity. The project assists ministries in planning, monitoring, and conducting inspections that target specific sectors and/or types of labor violations. As of September 30, 2010, the project had installed electronic systems in the Inspectorates in most countries to assist in the management of cases and data collection. The project has also developed protocols for inspections in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining and protocols for inspections in targeted sectors and on targeted issues in each country. All protocols have been validated by worker and business organizations and will be widely used by inspectors starting in 2011.
Todas y Todos Trabajamos: Derechos Laborales para Todos y Todas (May 2007 – May 2012)
DOL is providing $6,445,000 for six countries in Central America, including El Salvador, to provide advice to workers about the scope and applicability of relevant labor laws, and when necessary, provide legal services explaining the procedural and documentation requirements to exercise those rights. To date, the project has:
- Provided 54,821 workers with legal consultations and presented 37,410 cases before relevant government agencies (as of September 2010).
- Trained 418 trainers, 277 of whom have replicated their training, reaching a total of 57,079 workers.
- Conducted targeted media campaigns informing workers how to exercise their rights on specific labor issues, indirectly reaching 7.18 million workers.
Strengthening the Civil Service of the Labor Inspectorate (September 2007- June 2011)
DOL is providing $1,193,000 to improve the effectiveness and transparency of labor inspectorates in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The project aims to improve the mandate and functions of labor inspectorates, hiring and firing mechanisms, continuity in the inspectorate workforce, and provide civil servants with appropriate career track, incentives, skills, motivation and authority. This project has created inspection training modules that focus on ethical protocols and unification of inspector positions and responsibilities. It has also created a draft code of ethics and integrity, which is in review and will be finalized early in 2011.
Verification of Compliance with Recommendations of the White Paper (August 2006 – December 2012)
DOL is providing $11.61 million to six countries in Central America, including El Salvador, to benchmark and verify progress against the recommendations made in the "White Paper" regarding labor law implementation and how it corresponds to internationally-recognized labor standards.1 Progress is tracked through extensive consultations with stakeholders, including NGOs, employers, and worker organizations and measures it against country implementation plans designed to record progress.
Past Programs Funded by DOL
Between 2003 and 2009, USDOL supported two regional Central American initiatives totaling $17.3 million that strengthened labor inspectorates and provided training related to labor justice - Cumple y Gana I and II ($15.25 million for six countries, including El Salvador) and Labor Justice Training in Central America ($2.05 million for three countries, including El Salvador). These projects:
- Reached over three million workers with information on labor rights by airing 52 radio spots at a rate of 1,800 per month and disseminating over 3.3 million pieces of informational materials.
- Designed an innovative web site with information on labor laws for workers and employers (www.leylaboral.com) that was accessed 7.2 million times.
- Trained over 10,000 ministry officials, employers, and workers on national labor laws and procedures.
- Trained 601 judges, lawyers, and other legal representatives in international labor standards and laws.
- Trained 126 judges, lawyers, and other legal representatives in case preparation, legal writing, admission of evidence and oral litigation.
- Developed labor inspection manuals and electronic case management systems for each country.
Footnotes
1 On July 13th, 2004, the Ministers responsible for trade and labor in the countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic met under the sponsorship of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, D.C. This was the first ever such meeting between the ministers in the region responsible for trade and ministers responsible for labor. The Ministers issued a joint statement at the meeting instructing their Vice Ministers to establish a working group and issue a report and recommendations on efforts to enhance the implementation and enforcement of labor standards and strengthen the labor institutions in the countries of the region. This document is known as the "White Paper".
