AIFLD - ECUADOR

Evaluation covers the period 4/1/79-3/31/80 and is based upon a review of project documents, site visits, and interviews with project personnel and beneficiaries. Despite inadequate funding, the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD), the project contractor, has met or exceeded planned outputs. AIFLD assisted in revitalizing five provinicial and seven national federations; forming 51 new unions; reaffiliating 10 unions to the Ecuadorian Confederation of Free Trade Union Organizations (CEOSL); increasing the number of CEOSL-affiliated union members by 4,746 workers; training 63 trade union leaders; forming two regional cooperative associations; and, along with CEOSL, in increasing the number of basic courses offered by unions without AIFLD assistance. CEOSL has promoted collective bargaining and has provided legal services to members engaged in such bargaining, defended members engaged in labor-related proceedings, and drafted statutes of affiliated organizations. Only one of two planned labor institutes, however, was established. Due to the low levels of worker education and income, the project has fallen short in maintaining the democratic and collegial system of leadership. As a result, it is unlikely that the unions will attain economic self-sufficiency in the near future, and the goal of increasing the democratic share of total union membership to 65% seems impossible -- an increase of 40% is more likely. Since CEOSL"s revenues have not increased, an increase in CEOSL-paid staff is not likely either. The above problems, along with others such as the anti-union attitudes of employers are also treated in 79 QUITO 8552 and other Embassy reports. The labor attache will consider whether the program should be restructured from collaboration with CEOSL to direct collaboration with unions and federations, and whether the program"s headquarters should be moved from Quito to Guayaquil to accomodate the current ailing, yet influential, country program director.