El Salvador will be prosecuted for violating the International Labor Organization convention

El Salvador is again included in the list of countries violating agreements signed with the International Labor Organization (ILO), and next week it will have to appear in court to explain the violation of Conventions 144, 87 and 98 it has signed with it. Organism.

These agreements promote the free choice of representatives of the employers and the tripartite body. However, like previous governments, the Bukele administration refused to accept the representation of the Labor Party, specifically, ignoring the president of the National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP) Javier Seaman, and this prevented those bodies such as the President of the Republic. The Business Council (CST) has not met since 2019, according to ANEP’s economic director, Waldo Jimenez.

“The government does not decide with whom it meets for social dialogue. The employers decide who represents them.” Jimenez said, “(The government) refused to comply and accept that business organizations are free and independent to elect their representatives.”

Trade unions submit complaints to international organizations

“For this reason, the government must undergo an examination or trial where its arguments must be presented to representatives of employers and employees at the international level,” he added.

Another paralyzed body is the National Council for the Minimum Wage, which has not been in session a year ago, as confirmed by one of its members.

The inclusion of El Salvador in the list of countries violating the conventions is known two days after the Minister of Labor traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to meet with many delegates of the International Labor Organization, and according to him, ratification and support of social dialogue commitments. Workers.

What is the state exposed to?

The ILO Standards Implementation Committee can order the Higher Labor Council to meet as required under Convention 144, according to Jimenez, and that’s one of the points they expect from the trial’s conclusions.

Also read: The association fires party employees without severance pay and without pay in May
But if the government of El Salvador rejects in a particular case and takes a decision to cancel this agreement, that is, it is no longer part of it, this will have very serious implications at the level of the United Nations and multilateral organizations. Jimenez explained that the loans granted to the country, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The trial will take place in the week of June 7 at the Standards Committee, at the 109th International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

This isn’t the first time El Salvador has been blacklisted for breaching labor agreements, since 2019, it has already accumulated five times on this list.