They lack the educational opportunities and social and political connections necessary for entry into these groups. While discrimination against blacks is not official, the Government has not taken effective steps to deal with this problem. Section 6 Worker Rights a. The Constitution states that laws should promote the organization of trade unions and the creation of arbitration bodies. In spite of this provision, there is almost no legislation concerning union activities.
Unions traditionally organize and operate freely without government regulation.
Civil servants, employees of state-run enterprises, and private enterprise workers may join unions. An estimated 12 percent of the work force is unionized. Labor unions are independent of political party control but have traditionally been more closely associated with the Broad Front, the leftist political coalition. The Constitution provides workers with the right to strike, and there were several strikes during the year. While no institutionalized mechanism exists for resolving workers' complaints against employers, the law generally prohibits discriminatory acts by employers, including arbitrary dismissals for union activity.