What are the main services that the CGTG provides to workers in the informal economy?
Organising, training and legal assistance. We talk to the city authorities about getting a collective agreement to ensure that the street vendors can stay where they are. We negotiate how long they can stay in a particular place, for example. The authorities lay down their own requirements, such as keeping the place clean, not blocking the street or paying a local tax. We have also set up a micro-credit fund. That prevents informal workers, who generally cannot get credit from banks, having to turn to unscrupulous money lenders. Organising the informal economy is still in the early stages: though over 70% of workers are in the informal economy, just 5% of that 70% are organised. Which countries could most effectively influence the government of Guatemala? The European Union is currently negotiating a trade agreement with Central American countries. It should not become complicit in human rights violations in Guatemala: if it really wants to help Central America, it should not condone i
