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A two-day workshop In Kuala Lumpur at the end of August brought together 40 representatives of media unions from the Asia-Pacific region. The workshop focussed on strategies to shaping the digital transformation of the broadcasting sector.

Several unions are currently engaged in negotiations with management over restructuring and outsourcing and the workshop was a timely occasion to assess union strategies and exchange on how social dialogue and collective bargaining can bring about change and improve the conditions of the long-term transformation process that broadcasters are undergoing. The growing network of broadcasting unions in UNI Apro is intensifying union to union cooperation and affiliates want to step-up cooperation to pool capacity building and peer to peer training. 

The participants discussed common objectives in collective bargaining with broadcasting companies and how to promote the dialogue on digital transformation within the framework of the global framework (GFA) with the Association of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Organisations, ABU. An intense and constructive exchange with representatives of ABU on the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation for the broadcasting sector led to a discussion on possible joint activities of ABU and UNI to promote a sustainable and inclusive transformation process.  The two organisations who signed a GFA in 2012, have built a good working relationship over the years and want to continue building the dialogue between unions and employers in the region.  

Describing the situation in NHK, UNI Apro MEI President Masotoshi Nakamura (NIPPORO, Japan) pointed out that management and unions can indeed use the collective bargaining framework to discuss the future of broadcasting, something that UNI Apro MEI keeps engaging with the ABU.

The Secretariats of ABU, UNI Apro and UNI MEI followed-up the workshop with a brainstorming session to hammer out joints actions points underlining their commitment to a continued dialogue. The organisations agreed to focus on up-skilling, promotion of equality plans and working towards the adoption of joint health and safety guidelines.

The upcoming UNI Apro MEI meeting during the UNI Apro Conference in Kathmandu, 20-22 November will allow all affiliates to discuss the draft work plan for 2020.  

In parallel and as part of the dialogue on the promotion of equality in broadcasting, UNI MEI Projects Director, Daphne Tepper will address the ABU General Assembly’s forum “Women with a Wave” in Tokyo taking place at the same time as the UNI Apro Conference.