Labor Rights Training for Cleaning Women a "Complete Success"

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Labor-Rights Training for Cleaning Women a "Complete Success"
Labor rights training session helps cleaning women reclaim their rights—and highlights employers’ oppressive attitudes

AJS Labor Rights lawyer Humberto Amador talked with cleaning women at the National Teaching University about their human- and labor rights.

1 October 2010 - Students and professors are not the only people who frequent the halls of the Universidad Pedagógica, Honduras’ Teaching University. Men and women dressed in blue uniforms and carrying mops, trash bags, and buckets of water spend their days cleaning the University buildings. These men and women are employed by HIGIA, a Honduran cleaning company, which contracts with a variety of businesses and government institutions to provide janitorial services.

According to a recent investigation carried out by the Labor Rights project, HIGIA workers are subject to many kinds of labor rights abuses: They are not given vacation days or paid yearly bonuses mandated by law. Women are often subjected to pregnancy tests, and if found pregnant, are fired. AJS has been working with marginalized workers for many years, focusing on guaranteeing the rights of cleaning women, security guards, and fast food workers, so when hearing about this latest abuse, Labor Rights project staff worked quickly to secure a meeting with the administration of the Universidad Pedagógica and the owner of HIGIA. Both parties agreed to a labor rights training for the cleaning workers at the University, and during a recent lunch break, an AJS lawyer, Humberto Amador, and journalist, Ramon Palacios, went to the University to give the training.

More than 50 HIGIA employees came to the training, some looking tentative as they entered the room, and others excited. Ramon began the training with a few jokes to break the ice, and then began to talk more seriously about the worth of the workers. He reminded them that no matter what their job, they are valuable. Humberto then gave a powerpoint presentation regarding the basic rights that employees have.

After the presentation questions started springing from the audience. Before they could be answered, though, a woman hurriedly entered the room. She introduced herself as Viviana Moyano, the head of human resources for HIGIA, and said that this training was not authorized by HIGIA and that all the employees should go back to work. Humberto responded that they had the permission of the Universidad Pedagógica and also of HIGIA’s owner to give the training, and furthermore that employees could use their lunch hour however they wished.
This entrance left both the HIGIA employees and the AJS staff surprised, and although frightening for the employees since they did not know what the repercussions of the encounter would be, all employees seemed even more determined to have their rights recognized.

Later Ramon reflected, “The event was a complete success. It gave HIGIA employees knowledge about their labor rights, but most of all, it showed the kinds of psychological and labor rights abuses that they face.”

AJS staff believe that this training is just the first step in securing the rights of the cleaning workers at the Universidad Pedagógica. Soon, they hope to see the halls of the University full of cleaning employees who are equipped to fight for their rights.

More stories and information on AJS's Labor Rights project

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