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10 July, 2026Young unionists from South East Asia have proposed a regional labour education campaign, announced on 3 July 2026. The campaign will run on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. It will cover trade unionism, workers' rights, wage and benefits, Convention 190 and safety and health.
The co-chair of the recently formed Asia Pacific regional youth committee, Jean Faye Daguman, said:
“We will discuss with union leaders to propagate labour education videos on the social media accounts of IndustriALL affiliates in the region. In the next six months, we aim to reach out to 4,000 young workers and recruit about 700 young workers from seven countries.”
The proposal came out of the third IndustriALL-FES South East Asia youth academy. There, twenty young unionists gathered in Rizal, the Philippines. They identified a lack of labour education and relevant policy as the most pressing issues to address. Notably, labour education is central to organizing young workers into trade unions.
In general, young workers lack knowledge of labour rights. The public education system does not equip them with knowledge of basic legal protections once they leave school and enter the workforce. Popular labour education can help win the hearts and minds of young workers.
Over the four day academy, unionists from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam explored organizing skills. These included workplace mapping and analysis, increasing union density, one-on-one conversations and reaching young workers through online tools.
Building on the global supply chain module from 2025, participants deepened their understanding of decent work in global supply chains. In addition, safeguarding fundamental workers’ rights is essential to achieving decent wages. Organizing in the supply chain and building leverage for workers’ power are also essential for decent wages and working conditions.
Young unionists also had frank exchanges on the differences between senior and young unionists. While acknowledging the value of senior leaders’ experience and knowledge, they called for more opportunities to develop their capacity and make decisions. They also called for sufficient funding for youth development.
IndustriALL youth and project officer, Sarah Flores, said:
“Diversity is our strength. But that strength is worthless if it remains confined to boardrooms. When young people from all countries engage in debate, their primary mission must be to take it to the workplace and organize workers where they are. Our goal is clear: to build a future where people reclaim power over profit through mass mobilization and organization.”