US Department of Labor awards $1.5 million to strengthen Colombia labor rights

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a $1.5 million grant award to strengthen labor rights in Colombia. The grant awarded by U.S Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs will fund a project implemented by the Escuela Nacional Sindical.

The project will build on work already begun by Colombia to increase public awareness of labor rights and improve workers' ability to protect and claim their rights. In support of this national effort, the Escuela Nacional Sindical will develop centers for educating and advising workers on their rights and responsibilities under the country's labor laws and providing them with legal services.

"Many workers in Colombia have faced extraordinary challenges in protecting their rights," said Secretary Solis. "This project will help Colombians take an important step on the road to ensuring their safety and well-being by learning about their rights and how to defend them through the justice system."

Since 1995, ILAB has worked with other governments and international organizations to improve working conditions around the world. ILAB's Office of Trade and Labor Affairs has funded technical assistance projects to improve worker rights, livelihoods and labor law compliance in more than 72 countries around the world.

For more information about ILAB's technical assistance projects, visit http://www.dol.gov/ilab/.