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“Corporations in the region have a very significant role in making sure that their business activities contribute to our goal of a people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN Community by 2015,” said H.E. Le Luong Minh, ASEAN Secretary General at the ASEAN CSR Network Forum 28 November 2013 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Forum brought together stakeholders in the region to share and discuss on how CSR can catalyse the achievement of a sustainable, equitable and inclusive ASEAN Community by 2015. It also addressed the need for multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation.

Participants to the Forum include senior representatives from CSR and business networks promoting CSR, international agencies and NGOs, donor institutions, the ASEAN Secretariat and other ASEAN bodies, and academe.

In the fourth session on “The future of ASEAN – Solving Critical Issues through Collective Action”, Christopher Ng, Regional Secretary of UNI Apro who sat as a panellist called for ASEAN to give recognition to trade unions, to UNI Apro and ASETUC in particular, as dialogue partners.

“This will be non-polemical and truly enriching to all of us,” assured Christopher who explained that the business community is fully consulted by the ASEAN Secretariat through the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and “a good starting point is for the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN CSR Network to arrange a dialogue with UNI Apro and ASETUC on a whole range of labor market and industrial relations issues affecting the region.”

Christopher articulated full support for the ASEAN's vision of a caring and sharing community. “It is this vision that has prompted us in the labour movement to participate actively in the consultations made by the Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter as well as engage the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN SLOM in a series of social dialogues,” he explained.

H.E. Le Luong Minh, ASEAN Secretary General observed that the challenges of ASEAN are numerous and often interrelated, and there is growing recognition that no single stakeholder can successfully solve them on their own.

Giving an example of the positive role of trade unions practicing social partnership in industrial relation, Jakwan, President of Hero Supermarket Union said that his company and union worked together to successfully stamp out shrinkage where there were loss of products between point of manufacture of purchase from supplier and point of sale.

Hero management and Hero Supermarket Union had signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing that they will not tolerate any unethical practices in the organization. Through mutual trust and understanding, the company worked closely with the union in investigating cases whereby employees were found either stealing or manipulating data. The social partnership resulted in less shrinkage, and as the company’s profits rose, the management also gave Hero employees a good bonus.

H.E. Le Luong Minh, ASEAN Secretary General called for all sectors –business, government, civil society, academe or youth – to work together for more responsible and sustainable ASEAN growth.

“Companies must strive to build businesses that add value to the communities where they operate and not just generate wealth for its shareholders. CSR is about how companies operate in a sustainable and ethical manner – mindful of its impact not only on the economy but also to the society and environment as a whole.”