Project assistance completion report : Central American Foundation for Sustainable Human Development (FUCAD) -- activity no. 519-G-00-97-00156-00

Project funds were utilized to: (1) provide specialized technical, legal, and financial assistance to workers" organizations and other key stakeholders involved in the energy privatization process; (2) sponsor workshops, seminars, and other events to disseminate information to workers" organizations and other civil society organizations on the energy privatization process and other policy change processes; (3) support FUCAD personnel and administrative costs associated with the foregoing activities; and (4) purchase computer and audiovisual equipment to strengthen the Center for Civil Society"s capacity to facilitate constructive and productive involvement by civil society organizations in the policy change process. With the constitution of a trust fund, energy sector workers had access to credit and were thus able to acquire shares from the energy generation companies, having their pensions as endorsements. As a result, 2,767 workers acquired over 153 million colones in shares, an average of 55,490 colones per worker, equivalent to 2,229 shares each. This allowed the workers to become minority stakeholders of the energy generation industries, and key stakeholders in the future development of the country. In terms of lessons learned, the direct participation of the energy sector workers in the privatization process of the power generation companies provided not only direct financial benefits to the workers but also the stability needed for the success of the process. Furthermore, the workers went beyond their usual role of demanding better labor conditions to look for greater income opportunities through their associative participation in those companies.