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9 July, 2015Members from 13 IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in the Philippines shared their experiences in social dialogue and planned to better engage in tripartite mechanisms following a two-day national workshop held in Quezon City on 3 and 4 July.
The Philippines has a long tradition of social dialogue mechanism since the introduction of the Labour Code of the Philippines in 1974. Mechanisms for social dialogue are guaranteed through established tripartite institutions between workers, employers and the government, embodied as state policy.
In order to have meaningful participation in those mechanisms, trade unions have to build their capacity and hone their skills in order to pursue worker interests.
Early this year, Roger Padilla from the National Mines and Allied Workers Union was nominated by IndustriALL Filipino affiliates to represent them at the Tripartite Executive Committee, which is an important body of the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council that discusses policy proposals on economic, labour and social issues. He has now been successfully appointed to the Committee and will uphold the interests of IndustriALL affiliates.
“Done effectively, social dialogue can do much to improve the working and living conditions of workers and for this we need to be technically capable,” said Annie Adviento, Regional Secretary for South East Asia Office.
“To have power we need to increase membership and build sustainable unions, needless to say a strong union is a key element in social dialogue engagement,” she added.
At the end of the workshop affiliates formulated strategies on engaging effectively in tripartite bodies and committed to be as inclusive as possible to involve membership at all levels. The workshop was followed-up by the mid-term review of the union building project in the country.
The 13 IndustriALL affiliates at the meeting were:
1. Associated Labour Unions
2. Philippine Metalworkers Alliance
3. Metalworkers Alliance of the Philippines
4. National Mines and Allied Workers Union
5. Philippine Council of Cement Workers
6. Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization
7. Confederation of Labor and Allied Social Services
8. All Workers Alliance of the Trade Union
9. Union of Filipino Workers
10. Integrated Labor Organization
11. Pinagisang Tinig at Lakas ng Anakpawis
12. Philippine Social Security Labor Union
13. Trade Federation on Garments, Textile, Footwear, Plastic, Leather and Allied Industries