Title: Waste Collectors: Providing a platform for decent jobs, a healthy environment and clean cities

Type: Campaign leaflet

Produced by: Union of Solid Urban Waste Classifiers (UCRUS) & PIT-CNT and Sustainlabour

Year: 2011

Available versions: ES

Waste collectors are coming out of marginalization and demanding decent, green jobs. Promoting sound waste management, calling for national policy changes, selective collection, productive use of waste, & involving their fellow citizens in the reduction and sorting of waste at the source, are some of the objectives of this campaign.

The campaign is part of a line of work that is being developed by the group of Health and Environment of the Uruguay trade union PIT-CNT, along with the Union of Solid Urban Waste Classifiers (UCRUS, a trade union of informal waste classifiers, and a member of the PIT -CNT), REDES-Friends of the Earth (non-governmental organization) and the Department of Extension of the University of the Republic.

The campaign is an example of how workers organize, toward raising their political voice, demanding recognition and dignifying the vital work that they do which makes important social, economic and ecological contributions, such as mitigating global warming. Through the campaign workers are encouraging the incorporation of civil society organizations in the sustainable management of solid waste in order to promote a change in national waste policy on the following basis:

• To minimize the environmental impact of waste, avoiding where possible burial or incineration.
• To ensure the maximum value of the recovery of waste through conscious action and systematic classification for reuse and recycling.
• To integrate and organize informal classifiers into the recovery chain, so as to promote integration and social inclusion and improving their quality of life.

To find out more about UCRUS and about the work of the waste pickers, their platform and their commitment to the defence of the environment, read their bulletin here (in Spanish).

This initiative is part of the joint UNEP-Sustainlabour programme “Towards Green and Decent Jobs: Enhancing Workers and Trade Unions´ Capacity”.