Going Mobile

Joel leads a training with security guards in a parking lot.

Spring 2008—Joel Valladares, lawyer for the AJS-supported labor rights project, began to notice that after inviting seemingly interested low-income service workers to receive labor rights training, many remained absent at the Sunday trainings.

Joel and other project staff have been holding free trainings for workers in Honduras ' worst-offender industries: private security, fast food, and cleaning services. Far too many are unaware of what the Labor Law says regarding their rights to minimum wage salary, overtime and severance pay, and education vouchers — information offered to them at these trainings. But workers had repeatedly remarked about the inconvenient location of the project's offices, where the trainings take place, and the difficulty in coming in on a Sunday—very often, their only day of rest.

As a result, Joel decided to bring the information to them. He conducts “mobiles” a type on-site training, at the workplace, on the street, during or after their shift, wherever and whenever the employees can meet, communicating the basic information of the regular three-hour training in as little as 10 minutes. “I have to talk fast,” he comments.

“One day, a gentleman came into the restaurant and began talking to me about my rights as a worker,” recounts security guard , Paven Herrera. He appreciates this new training tactic, knowing that many, like himself, would like to attend training sessions but don't have the time. A supervisor, he now supports the work of ASJ, at risk of his own job, by gathering co-workers together and notifying Joel to come; “ I don't like injustice,” Paven remarks.

Since October, more than twenty “mobile” trainings have been carried out, empowering almost 300 service workers, like Paven, to ask that their labor rights be respected in the workplace. This is just one of the ways AJS supports efforts seeking to ensure that the right to justice does not remain a privilege for a few, but becomes a reality for all in society.

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