An internal silent struggle between trade union organizations has emerged in 2025 and the majority unions in Guatemala, try to occupy the different spaces of representation that are within the regulations.
One of the arguments raised according to the sources consulted that prefer not to be identified, is that, they define themselves to be majority by the number of affiliates who possess and try to displace the representation of other unions, including private.
In alliance
The Guatemala Education Workers Union (Steg) under the direction of Joviel Acevedo and the National Union of Health Workers of Guatemala (SNTSG) that Luis Alpírez directs it, have structured an alliance and have been self -demonstrated as the majority, in order to occupy the different positions in which there is a union chair.
Subscriber content
The sources consulted indicate that the Steg leadership as SNTSG have undertaken people related to the different representations in which there is a specific interest and part of the justification is that they are called being the majority groups by the number of affiliates. Together they group about 200 thousand.
“Since this year they have stated that they are the strongest organizations for the number of affiliates and want to move to other unions,” said a union representative.
Another leader of the workers explained that there is a “certain distancing” and the autonomous unions, prefer to “isolate” and not participate when the calls are called to the assemblies to choose their union representatives. That is, they have stopped participating.
Power quotas
One of the incidents will be in the domain that both trade union organizations can achieve control in certain spaces such as the Parity Commissions and the National Commission of the Minimum Salary (CNS), which aim to achieve agreements to set the minimum pay that workers receive the following year, as well as the representation in the National Commission for Freedom and Collective Badge (Conalis), in which the participation is tripartite with the delegates of the employers and the Government. They go to the annual meetings of the International Labor Organization (ILO) based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Subscriber content
But at the same time they integrate other subcommissions such as legislation, roadmap monitoring, conflict resolutions in the field of freedom of association and collective bargaining, National Council of Occupational Health and Safety.
On the other hand, in directors participate in the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS), Technical Institute of Training and Productivity (Intecap), Institute for Recreation of Workers of the Private Company of Guatemala (IRTRA), National Institute of Electrification (INDE) and in the ports Quetzal and Santzal entities.
Subscriber content
A representative in the joint commissions of the minimum wage assured that one of the situations is that private unions have participation in these work tables, and is different from the vision of a public union.
The Ministry of Labor (Mentrab) reported on March 28, that the appointment of the people who are going to integrate the CNS for the 2025-2026 period and as for the joint commissions they have already celebrated a session, but they have not yet defined the work schedule. It was reported that on May 5 they will meet again, a source updated.
Cooptar movement
María Isabel Bonilla, analyst at the National Economic Research Center (one hundred) remarked that the democratic processes of those who are due to their representatives, their Executive Committee, and wherever the unions and their claims of the union movement must prevail, since one thing is the interests of Acevedo or Alpírez.
“There is a position to occupy the spaces of labor representations and there may be a conflict with those chairs that need the vision of the private sector, which is different from that of the public sector”
María Isabel Bonilla, one hundred analyst
He recalled that Guatemala’s trade union movement, especially with these great unions, will be distorted to the extent that they go to co -opt in all the spaces in which you can participate as in the CNS, Intecap, IGSS or IRTRA, which are institutions at the service of the worker.
The one hundred analyst considered that this time there is a position to occupy the spaces of labor representations and there may be a conflict with those chairs that need the vision of the private sector, which is different from that of the public sector.
“In the private sector, trade union interest will always be the well -being of workers, which goes from salary, better working conditions, but the conditions for the company continue to continue. In the public sector through the route of collective pacts or by regulations there is immobility of people, inherit positions, salary improvements without having evaluations, licenses with salaries, among others,” said Bonilla.
Forms of trade unionism
According to academic research, in Guatemala, ways of exercising trade unionism have been identified.
The yellow union, which is known that are created and directed by employers and that serve the employer interests. White, which are protected organizations and directed by employers and created by workers. Red, which are organizations with revolutionary trends and organize themselves based on direct action.
Subscriber content
Other denominations, the revolutionary who has a communist tendency that perceives the capitalist system as an enemy and is promoter of strikes. The reformist, who opposes the violent action of the proletariat, without rejecting the principle of struggle.
This is the Christian, who tries to remind capitalism of social function, which is inspired by the encyclical rerum novarum. The communist, who responds to the use of union force, is aimed at the absorption of the state of production sources. And finally the nationalist, who intends to depart from all political orientation, staying in an authentic union spectrum.
Current structure
As for social phenomena around the union movement, several elements are identified in these times.
- Workers who go to private initiative especially to small and medium enterprises, and begin to form unions in these companies, representing a threat.
- Tendency of training attempts of industry, especially based on labor reforms.
- There is a trend of “Closterize” The syndicates, through the municipal unions.
- Unionization in the informal economy, such as chicleros, cotton, street vendors, among others with the objective of using them as a political weight in manifestations.
Radiography
In the map of current trade unionism, it is said that, in their strengths, they live a political moment, they have a ministry of labor that supports part of them. As opportunities, it is stated that they have a resurgence based on labor reforms, dissemination and promulgation within the law and democratic system.
In its weaknesses there is an absence of leaders to direct the trade union movement, there is no renewal of leaders, divisionism, distribution of privileges. And on threats the globalization process, the company approach, home work and a labor mass focused on productivity and competitiveness.