Topic: International Labor Standards
Country: El Salvador
Delegate Name: Christopher Roberts
School: Flint Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All El Salvador position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
The issues of sustaining labor standards in El Salvador is very, seriously ignored. One of El Salvador’s organizations is the Ministry of Labor which is responsible for keeping labor-related laws; it has limited resources and, as a government agency, has at times been accused of unfairness when dealing with government-union conflicts.
Workers are assured the right to unionize without the threat of harassment or discrimination. However, In the 1990s, the government telecommunications firm was up for sale 72 labor leaders were fired to keep the company a union-free country . The Ministry of Labor sided with the government on uncertain grounds when the workers had appealed. Because of its limited resources, the Ministry of Labor cannot conduct thorough labor inspections throughout the country, especially outside the manufacturing districts, and worker complaints of mistreatment, although not altogether common, but frequently go uninvestigated.
Forced labor in El Salvador is prohibited by law, although in cases of catastrophe or national emergency the government can make their own exclusion. Forced labor in El Salvador also prohibits child labor. Children below the ages of 14 are not allowed to work in a job in El Salvador but Minors between the ages of 14 and 18 may work but they must have permission from the Ministry of Labor if their employment is necessary to either themselves or their family. Many children under the age of 14 work as street vendors or doing general labor for small businesses in unauthorized areas.
This is one of the major problems with the laws that the government of El Salvador ignores. But there are many more laws that El Salvador has and does not follow for instance laws that deal with criminal actions and health and safety abuses. The government especially ignores the criminal actions taken against children working on sugar plantations. El Salvador needs to put an end to ignoring its laws because of the families especially the children’s harm or even unnecessary death.
