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| Photo from PhilStar |
The largest labor coalition in the country is calling on the Marcos administration
to take concrete actions to address the issues and concerns of workers, as the
country is among the 24 shortlisted countries for examination during the
upcoming International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva in June. This comes as
the Philippines marks its 75th year of membership in the International Labour
Organization (ILO).
The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition highlights that the Philippines is included in the
long list of ILO Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) due to 69
reported killings of trade union leaders and organizers, and about 400 other
violations of Convention 87.
Nagkaisa holds that the lack of representation from workers and employers in
the current Executive Order 23 (EO23) signed by President Bongbong Marcos also
contributed to the Philippines' inclusion in the list.
While it is a positive step forward, the current EO23 fails to address the
significant problem that workers face in exercising their freedom to form
unions or associations. To address this issue, the coalition proposes its
amendments to transform it into a tripartite commission, consisting of
representatives from the government and representatives from workers’ and employers’
groups in accordance with the principle of "tripartism and social
dialogue" of ILO Convention 144 and the principles of "shared
responsibility" and "participation in decision-making' under the
Constitution and the Labor Code. This body would serve as the primary mechanism
for addressing worker issues and seeking justice for the countless victims of
violations of Freedom of Association (FOA) and Trade Union (TU) rights.
Trade unions heard Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma on his call to proposed
solutions or positive actions. Thus, Nagkaisa urges him to schedule a meeting
with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for trade union leaders to present
personally the proposed amendments to the EO and other suggestions in order to
improve the situation of workers and hold those accountable for violations of
FOA and TU rights.
The coalition emphasizes that unless the government takes substantial steps to
demonstrate its intention to heed the recommendations of the ILO High-Level
Tripartite Mission (HLTM) beyond the issuance of EO23, the country will
undoubtedly face scrutiny by the ILO.
It is time for the government to act and demonstrate its dedication to
upholding the principles of decent work and social justice for all.
PRESS RELEASE
May 7, 2023
Nagkaisa
