Hundreds of workers affiliated with different unions carried out the march this May 1 in commemoration of International Labor Day, which toured zones 5 and 1 of the capital.
From the early hours of this Friday morning, workers gathered at the Monument to Laborknown as “el Muñecón”, located on 27th street in zone 5, from where they headed towards the Olympic Bridge, in the same area, then towards the capital’s municipality, to continue on Sixth Avenue in zone 1 towards the Plaza de la Constitución.
With banners with messages alluding to the right to work and labor freedoms, the participants completed their journey without any problems.
Francisco Mendoza, coordinator of the Political Council of Global Unions of Guatemala, indicated that union representatives of workers from the private and public sectors, the independent sector, as well as the country’s municipalities, the peasant and indigenous sector and self-employed workers participated during the march.
“This May 1 we are commemorating another year of union struggle, remembering the workers’ movement who died in 1886 demanding the right and more and better working conditions for a dignified life. In Guatemala, workers are important for economic and social development both in this country and throughout the world, since we are also generators of wealth,” said Mendoza.
Among the main demands raised during the march, Mendoza indicated that They request that “labor and union rights be respected, as well as more and better working conditions.”
He also indicated that it is necessary for both the private sector and the agricultural sector to “recognize the rights of workers, since the only way for Guatemala to move forward is to have employment opportunities with decent working conditions and to allow freedom of association and collective bargaining.”
They regulate traffic
In the absence of personnel from the city’s Municipal Traffic Police, members of the order committee of the General Central of Workers of Guatemala (CGTG) carried out traffic regulation activities.
During the route they made some detours of vehicles that were traveling through streets and avenues through which the march advanced.
Upon arrival at the central plaza, the workers’ representatives made several speeches and statements. in favor of respect for the labor and constitutional guarantees enjoyed by workers in the different sectors of the country.
Recognition for your work
During the morning of this Friday, May 1, The Ministry of Labor and Social Security (Mintrab) issued a statement through which it recognizes the importance of the work carried out by workers in different sectors throughout the country.
“The Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala recognizes fundamental rights at work, including free choice of employment, equitable remuneration, equal pay for equal work performed, salary protection, protection against unjustified dismissal, an adequate working day, weekly rest, vacations, free unionization and special protection for vulnerable groups. These rights place the worker as the holder of guarantees aimed at protecting their comprehensive well-being and that of their family,” the statement indicates.
It also emphasizes the agreements and commitments ratified internationally by Guatemala in defense of workers, as well as their labor rights and the eradication of child labor, among other topics.
“The State of Guatemala has assumed international commitments through the ratification of fundamental conventions of the International Labor Organization, including Convention 87 on freedom of association, Convention 98 on the right to organize and collective bargaining, Conventions 29 and 105 on the elimination of forced labor, Conventions 138 and 182 on the eradication of child labor, Convention 100 on equal remuneration and Convention 111 on non-discrimination in employment and occupation”, as indicated.
More than 8 million workers in Guatemala
The Labor Ministry also indicated that in Guatemala there are more than 8.2 million workers who make up the country’s labor and productive force. It also emphasizes that “important challenges still persist in the labor market,” which require sustained attention, since, according to estimates, 66.2% of workers work in the informal sector, while 13.6% are underemployed.
In this sense, The Ministry of Labor indicated that it is working on actions such as the progressive formalization of employmentthe reduction of underemployment, equal opportunities, safety and health at work and the strengthening of labor inspection, which constitute strategic priorities to move towards a fairer, more inclusive and productive labor market.
Origin of the commemoration of Labor Day
The commemoration of Workers’ Day emerged in different countries, including Guatemala, to remember the struggle of the labor movement in 1886 in Chicago, United States, where working conditions for workers were very precarious compared to other states. Between May 1, 2 and 3, strikes took place demanding better working conditions, which were violently broken up by the city police, leaving several workers dead and injured as a result of gunshots.
The victims are remembered as the “Chicago Martyrs” due to the violent Haymarket incidents that occurred around that time.