Latin America and the Caribbean cover nearly 15% of the Earth’s territory, is inhabited by less than 9% of the world’s population, an immense natural and cultural richness, with levels of schooling at 95%.....Home to the highest social inequality, exporting huge quantities of food worldwide, but not having enough to feed its own people: today, 53 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean suffer from hunger and 190 million live in poverty.
Its natural wealth is the backbone of the region’s economy. However, the rate of destruction of its ecosystems, through deforestation, contamination and extraction, far exceeds its economic growth and social progress, threatening the gains to date and the possibility of achieving a fair development in the future.
In Sustainlabour we work together with trade union organizations in the region to promote the search for alternatives, from a trade union perspective and committed to a sustainable development that guarantees the right to a healthy environment that ensures decent living conditions for all.
During 2010 we worked with 127 trade unions in 12 different countries with a total of 323 participants in our activities. We successfully concluded our project on chemical risk in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, strengthened our work with ACTRAV in activities and online courses and we supported trainings with CUT in Brazil and with the TUCA and ETUC in Ecuador.
In 2011, we are following the regional process of Rio+20 and supporting a trade union campaign to raise awareness on environmental topics in Uruguay. In July we started work on a second chemical risk project, this time with trade unions in El Salvador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Take a look at our activities to find out more about our work in this region.
Workers in El Salvador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic receive intensive distance training and serve in their countries as multipliers of this knowledge
The country has a significant regulatory framework in place with regard to occupational health and safety. Nevertheless, there is a low level of compliance on behalf of companies and the Ministry of Labour has a diminished capacity to act in this area
Precarious working conditions compound the existing difficult social situation of the country, that results in half of all workers handling or being exposed to chemicals - more than 40% of these without any protection
The country has a significant regulatory framework in place with regard to occupational health and safety. Nevertheless, there is a low level of compliance on behalf of companies and the Ministry of Labour has a diminished capacity to act in this area
Workers in El Salvador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic receive intensive distance training and serve in their countries as multipliers of this knowledge
The exposure to chemicals is a serious health and environmental problem. The Strategic Approach SAICM was adopted in 2006 with the objective of enhancing the sound management of chemicals at global level
The decision was adopted in response to EU Commission consultation on unconventional fossil fuels in Europe
