2008

Regional Programme of the “Plataforma Sindical Común Centroamericana " (Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador)

The context

In the Decade of 1980s, Central America was undergoing very serious social problems due to different civil conflicts that had in the region. During the 1980s and the middle of 1990s, existed in Central America a Union called coordination instance COCENTRA, who disappeared in 1995. This fact, together with the development of neo-liberal policies implemented by the Governments of the region at the beginning of the 1990s, seriously affected the most deprived classes and the trade unions.

It is in this context that in 2000, some social and trade union organizations of El Salvador and Nicaragua promoted a project of Union and social unity, to fill the vacuum that left COCENTRA; then was created the Plataforma Sindical Común Centroamericana (PSCC). Some Catalan Foundations give support to this effort: Pau I Solidaritat de (of CCOO) and Josep Comaposada (of the UGT), and the Salvadoran Foundation FUNDASPAD.

The project to evaluate

The PSCC is born with trade unions of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, during September of 2003 some trade union organizations of Costa Rica were added and in September of 2004 organizations of Panama. There are currently more than 30 trade union organizations of the 6 countries that are part of the PSCC.

Its objectives are to: contribute to the improvement of the economic and socio-labour situation of the Central American workers, increase the incidence of the PSCC as an instrument of proposal and action through the coordination of regional common actions and the realization of specific proposals at national levels. The vision of the PSCC has a socio-political character, addressing not only the strengthening of trade unions but also social movements and its objectives.

The PSCC consists of National Round Tables, an Executive Committee, a Board of Directors and a Central American Common Annual Union Meeting. It also has a technical team, which supports the management and execution of the project.