Department of Labor Release Report on Worker Rights in Honduras

The U.S. Department of Labor released a report raising concerns of effective enforcement of labor laws in Honduras.

The recent report was released under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement where it provides recommendations to address the concerns.

CAFTA-DR's report also calls for the development and implementation of a monitored action plan.

The United States is committed to continuing its cooperative engagement with the Honduran government in addressing labor rights concerns.

Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Carol Pier and Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Carlos Romero traveled to the Latin American country to reaffirm America's commitment.

"The Department of Labor and Secretariat of Labor and Social Security pledge to work together to implement the report's recommendations," the Honduran Ministry of Labor and U.S. Department of Labor wrote in a joint statement.

The goal is "to strengthen the protection of internationally recognized labor rights in Honduras, including by addressing the underlying labor law enforcement concerns identified in the report."

"The Department of Labor and Secretariat of Labor and Social Security view this report as an important opportunity to expand their robust bilateral cooperation on labor issues and to build upon steps already being taken by the Honduran government," the statement continued.

This comes at a time when the U.S. Department of Labor announced the launch of a $7 million cooperative agreement to World Vision to fight for child labor laws in Honduras and improve respect for labor rights.

"To build an economy that works for everyone, we must stand up for workers at home and around the world," U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez said. "When necessary, we must act to ensure compliance with the labor provisions of our trade agreements."

"This report is an important opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with Honduras in addressing critical labor rights concerns," he added.

The recent report was filed after allegations of the Honduran government failing to effectively enforce its labor laws.