ILO/TUCP Capacity-Building on LSEF and CLS Held

December 23, 2009, Quezon City –Two Capacity-Building programs on Labor Standards Enforcement Framework (LSEF) and Core Labor Standards were held on 10-12 December and 21-22 December 2009.

National LSEF and CLS Workshop

The national workshop aimed to improve understanding and respect for fundamental principles and rights at work particularly freedom of association and collective bargaining, including other international instruments; highlight issues raised at the ILO High-Level Mission regarding Philippine compliance with ILO core labour standards; assess and validate preliminary results of the ILO/TUCP LSEF survey; identify strategies to increase awareness, engagement and participation of workers and trade unions in the effective application and implementation of LSEF particularly the self-assessment scheme; and provide a venue for trade unions to develop joint strategies in effective monitoring, improving labour standards, and promoting better working conditions in line with ILO High-Level mission recommendations.

Thirty-three participants from 13 labor federations attended, including the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), Alyansa sa mga Manggagawa at Pilipinong Organisado (AMAPO), Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), All Workers Alliance Trade Unions (AWATU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Federation of Unions of Rizal (FUR), Pambansang Kilusan ng Paggawa (KILUSAN), Lakas sa Industriya ng Kapatirang Haligi Ng Alyansa (LIKHA), Philippine Federation of Labor (PFL), Philippines Government Employees Association (PGEA), Philippine Transport and General Workers Organization (PTGWO), Union Network International – Philippine Labor Council (UNI-PLC) and National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). Forty-four percent (44%) of the total participants are women.

Input sessions focused on LSEF as a concept and its policy basis; report on the implementation of LSEF in the Philippines; Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work; other international instruments and codes of conduct; corporate social responsibility (CSR); and a presentation of the initial report on the TUCP/ILO Survey on Trade Union Participation in Self-Assessment.

Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) Director Brenda Villafuerte; Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) Work Contingency Prevention and Rehabilitation Division Chief Dr. Melba Sacro; ALU-TUCP/BWI Campaigns Officer Dominador Tuvera; and TUCP Director for Education Rafael Mapalo served as resource persons.

Regional LSEF and CLS Capacity-Building Course

The regional capacity-building course was held for participants from Luzon. It aimed to increase the level of knowledge and understanding on LSEF among workers; identify strategies to further increase the awareness, engagement and participation of workers and trade unions in the effective application and implementation of LSEF particularly the self-assessment scheme; and come up with a consensus on policy recommendation for improving compliance with and implementation of labour standards including LSEF.

Twenty-nine participants representing five labor federations including LIKHA, FFW, ALU, KILUSAN and PTGWO and a youth group, the Youth for Empowerment and Solidarity (YES), attended the program. Forty-five percent (45%) were women.

Recommendations

The initial report on the TUCP/ILO LSEF Survey indicated a very low participation of trade unions in Self-Assessment and inadequate awareness of LSEF among survey respondents.

To address these issues, the participants recommended that DOLE carry out mandatory random inspection of enterprises regardless of size be held on a regular basis to strengthen labor standards compliance including those covered by SA and small and medium enterprises. The participants recommended an immediate review of the Self-Assessment Checklist to include the ILO’s Core Labor Standards comprised of the right to organize and collective bargaining, anti-child labor, freedom from discrimination and freedom from forced labor; more capacity-building programs for unions to ensure effective workers’ participation in labor inspection; and strengthen the linkage with corporate social responsibility (CSR) where LSEF should be anchored.

Participants stressed that the ILO should provide technical support for an annual trade union survey on CLS Compliance. Such annual survey will help not only trade unions but also government and employers in the development of plans and programs to address the ILO High Level Mission recommendations. (–REM)