Gov’t to hold 3-day conference on RP’s compliance with ILO Convention 87

Source: Information and Publication Service, DOLE

http://www.dole.gov.ph/news/details.asp?id=N000002412

To boost its efforts towards improving the country’s compliance with the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 87, in law and practice, the government through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will convene the National Tripartite Conference on the Principles of Freedom of Association on Dec. 2-4, 2009 in Manila.

Labor and Employment Marianito D. Roque said the conduct of the tripartite conference is an initial step towards implementing the recommendations of the ILO mission in line with efforts to uphold the rights and welfare of the Filipino workers.

The ILO sent a mission to the Philippines last September to identify gaps and explore areas for technical cooperation in improving the country’s application of Convention 87, in law and practice. Convention 87 refers to Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize that was adopted by the ILO in 1948 and ratified by the Philippines on Dec. 29, 1953.

As  an invited guest, www.cebucareers.com, Cebu’s Premier One-stop Job Shop, will participate in the event.

The mission concluded with proposals aimed at helping the country improve its application of Convention 87, in law and practice. It also asked concerned sectors to help foster a climate of confidence toward making the democratic process work in resolving workers’ concerns. At the same time, the head of the ILO mission Director Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry cited the DOLE for making the necessary arrangements with concerned agencies and workers and employers groups saying the mission is “satisfied and impressed.”

Specifically, the ILO mission had proposed for the conduct of training on the principles of Convention 87 including collective bargaining and other international labor standards with the participation of the police, military, stakeholders in the ecozones, lawyers, judges, and representatives from the DOLE, Civil Service Commission, and public sector workers groups.

It also recommended the issuance of a presidential statement confirming respect for freedom of association, trade union rights and civil liberties and also the establishment of high-level tripartite inter-agency monitoring body tasked to ensure that workers exercise their rights in a climate free from fear. It also encouraged the government to support the rapid adoption of pending bills to bring legislation in greater conformity with Convention 87.
Roque said labor and management groups including representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Philippine Export Processing Zones (PEZA) will participate in the conference.

Representatives from the DOLE, the academe, and training and research institutions as well as labor relations practitioners and PEZA security guards from Metro Manila, and Regions 3 (Central Luzon) and 4-A (Calabarzon) will also join the conference.

The DOLE Chief said the conference participants will be oriented on the principles of freedom of association and, thus, towards improved compliance with Convention 87, in law and practice.

He added that the participants will likewise be consulted on the ILO mission’s proposed “areas of action” particularly the implementation of a technical cooperation program on the conduct of an integrated awareness raising and capacity building on Convention 87 for workers, employers, and partners from relevant government agencies.

At the same time, Roque said the conference would seek to secure tripartite responses and commitment towards the realization of the principles of freedom of association and the effective implementation and monitoring of the technical cooperation program which would also seek to promote collective bargaining and voluntary dispute resolution mechanisms.

A high-level statement on the country’s commitment to the principles of freedom of association is expected to be delivered during the tripartite conference, that would signal the beginning of efforts towards ensuring greater understanding and respect for the principles of freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Meanwhile, Labor Undersecretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz said that discussions on a tripartite body that would monitor the protection of workers’ rights have begun, noting that the existing tripartite processes and mechanisms in the country is favorable to the setting up of the tripartite monitoring body.

She said that best efforts will be exerted to move the legislative agenda on DOLE-recommended amendments to specific articles in the Labor Code and administrative issuances to address issues even as the DOLE may face constraints due to the forthcoming elections. The DOLE, she added, would also explore practical measures and out-of-the-box solutions to long-standing cases in collaboration with other concerned agencies and stakeholders.

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