US embassy cable - 05QUITO1203

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 001203 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/AND, WHA/PPC, EB, AND DRL/IL. USDOL FOR JORGE 
PEREZ-LOPEZ. GENEVA FOR JOHN CHAMBERLIN. PLEASE PASS USTR 
FOR A/USTR CLATANOFF, V. LOPEZ AND B. HARMON. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PGOV, EC 
SUBJECT: NEW MOL AN ALLY ON LABOR RIGHTS 
 
 
1.  Summary:  New Minister of Labor Galo Chiriboga is 
concerned about labor rights in Ecuador and hopes to improve 
unions' image, increase dialogue between business and union 
representatives, and enforce ILO commitments.  Chiriboga will 
travel to Geneva for the meetings of the ILO Governing Body 
where Ecuador will seek the vice presidency.  Chiriboga will 
not attend the next round of FTA negotiations in Guayaquil. 
Vice Minister Betty Amores will head the GOE labor 
negotiating team.  End Summary. 
 
Chiriboga's Labor Rights Agenda 
------------------------------- 
 
2.  In meetings with EmbOffs shortly after taking office, 
Chiriboga said he wants to improve unions' public image by 
encouraging capacity building.  He said he will work with 
unions to come up with a proposal.  Chiriboga wants to 
modernize unions to address the poor quality of leadership. 
 
3.  One of Chiriboga's goals while in office is to strengthen 
the tripartite National Labor Council, which he contends has 
not been used to its full potential.  Chiriboga told EmbOffs 
on May 16 that dialogue should go beyond labor conditions and 
include broader economic issues, such as employment 
generation policies.  Chiriboga also wants to promote 
collective bargaining.  He said only 11 agreements have been 
signed thus far in 2005, reflecting both weak unions and 
structural constraints against unionization.  Chiriboga also 
told us he was in favor of permitting industry-wide unions, 
but did not specify whether this would require legislation. 
 
4.  Chiriboga said on May 23 that he welcomed a visit to 
Ecuador by US union representatives.  He said he hoped to 
sign an agreement between the GOE and US unions saying that 
the GOE would work with unions to avoid illegal migration to 
the US, and that US unions would give special attention to 
the protection of Ecuadorian migrants under US labor laws. 
 
Looking to Work Closely with the ILO 
------------------------------------ 
 
5.  Chiriboga plans to spend three weeks in Geneva at the ILO 
annual meetings as part of an Ecuadorian delegation including 
two other MOL representatives, four union representatives, 
and three business representatives.  Ecuador is seeking one 
of the three vice presidencies of the ILO Governing Body. 
Chiriboga said Ecuador had some support from GRULAC members 
for its candidacy.  Chiriboga told LabOff on May 23 that he 
does not intend to cover up any labor rights weaknesses in 
Ecuador.  Instead, he wants to identify problems and promote 
a plan to address areas where Ecuador does not fully comply 
with ILO conventions. 
 
6.  Chiriboga said he had not received copies of a report 
elaborated by ILO/Lima and delivered to the previous Minister 
on areas where Ecuador does not comply fully with ILO 
conventions.  He said he has asked the ILO for help in 
identifying any gaps in the Ministry of Labor's enforcement 
of child labor, health and safety, and other commitments. 
 
7.  Patricio Contreras of the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center told 
LabOff on May 19 that a high-level ILO delegation might visit 
to Ecuador in July.  The delegation would be composed of Luis 
Somavia (ILO/Geneva), Ricardo Hernandez Pulido (ILO/Lima), 
Guy Ryder (of international labor organization CIOSL), and 
perhaps also including a representative from the AFL-CIO in 
Washington.  The visit would be intended to identify areas 
for future ILO assistance. 
 
Vice Minister to Head FTA Labor Table 
------------------------------------- 
 
8.  Chiriboga did not seem familiar with details on the labor 
aspects of an FTA, but was encouraged to hear that it 
included respect for Ecuador's labor law and ILO commitments. 
 Chiriboga has named Labor Vice Minister Betty Amores as the 
new head of the labor negotiating table for the Andean Free 
Trade Agreement. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
9.  We are encouraged by the new Minister's interest in the 
ILO and other tripartite efforts here to strengthen labor 
rights.  An ILO visit to Ecuador in July could help cement 
this budding interest and advance labor rights.  We will 
continue to educate the new government on labor aspects of a 
free trade agreement. 
Chacon