Hemispheric Workshop “Enhancing Labor Law Compliance in the Americas”

Topics: 
LABOR
Enforcement and awareness of labor legislation
Labor inspection
Event date: 
12/05/2023 to 12/06/2023
Place: 
Organization of American States, Washington, D.C.
Host Country: 
United States
Objectives: 

 
General objective: Strengthen the capacities and increase knowledge of Ministries of Labor to improve compliance with labor laws by enhancing innovative labor inspection practices and a preventive approach to law enforcement. 
 

Specific objectives: 

  • Identify, exchange, and analyze innovative labor inspection strategies, particularly those incorporating the use of new technologies in the planning, programming, and deployment of inspections.
  • Exchange information regarding the types of new technologies utilized by Ministries of Labor to enhance labor inspection.
  • Identify, exchange, and analyze strategies from Ministries of Labor to prevent non-compliance with labor laws, including awareness-raising, communication, and education strategies for workers and employers.
  • Prepare recommendations to strengthen labor inspection and develop a preventive approach to law enforcement to support Ministries of Labor in enhancing compliance with labor laws.

 

Organizers: 

The Organization of American States (OAS) in partnership with the United States Department of Labor (USDOL).

Relevant documents: 

Registration and Participation
 
Representatives from Governments must send the registration form included in the Descriptive Document to the Technical Secretariat through their Permanent Mission to the OAS. The OAS, with resources from the RIAL and the Government of the United States, will be able to fund airfare and accommodation for some Directors of Labor Inspection or officers involved in labor law compliance efforts from some Ministries of Labor.

Presentations: 

1st Session - Innovative technologies in labor inspection

Guiding questions for presentations and dialogue:

  • What innovative practices and/or new technologies is your Ministry of Labor employing to improve the effectiveness of labor inspection in urban and rural areas?  Please be as detailed as possible and share challenges and main results.
  • Which elements of success or lessons learned can be drawn from the innovative practices outlined in question 1? What works and why?
Moderator: 
Erin Gilmore, Acting Deputy Director, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Presentation by ILO, by Teresa Torres, Lead Specialist in Labor Legislation and Labor Administration for the Americas.
Presentation by Peru, Luz Angela Martinez, National Director of Inspection, Ministry of Labor.
Presentation by Guyana, Dhaneshwar Deonarine, Chief Labour Officer, Ministry of Labour.
Presentation by Brazil, Claudio Carvalho Menezes, Labor Inspection Auditor, Secretariat for Labor Inspection, Ministry of Labor and Employment.

2nd Session – Complementing labor inspection: a preventive approach to law enforcement

Guiding questions for presentations and dialogue:

  • What strategies or initiatives is your institution developing to encourage compliance with labor laws? Please consider including awareness-raising, communication, and education strategies for workers and employers, among other.
  • Which elements of success of lessons learned can be drawn from the strategies or initiatives outlined in question 3?  What works and why?
Moderator: 
Yadizeth Ballesteros, Deputy Director of Labor Inspection, Ministry of Labor of Panama, representing the Vice-Chair of IACML Working Group 2.
Presentation by Costa Rica, Victor Aguilar, National Director of Labor Inspection, Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
Presentation by Chile, Francisco Neira, Legal Advisor of the Ministerial Cabinet, Ministry of Labor and Social Prevision.
Presentation by Jamaica, Gillian Corrodus, Divisional Director - Industrial Relations and Allied Services, Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

3rd Session – Exercise in sub-groups

Sub-group exercise based on the following guiding question:

  • What key lessons learned, and policy recommendations can be identified, based on the discussions during the Workshop, to: a) strengthen labor inspection, particularly with the use of new technologies, and b) develop a preventive approach to law enforcement?
Moderator: 
Alexander Astorga, Viceminister of the Labor Area, Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Costa Rica; Curtis Connon, Senior Director, National and Regional Operations and Compliance, Labour Program, Employment and Social Development Canada; and Maria Julia Bellotti, Operational Training Director, Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security (Argentina).