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The 4th UNI Apro Commerce Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand on 30-31 August 2013 adopted the UNI Apro Commerce Strategic Action Plan to grow the commerce sector into an effective and relevant sector to the workers in commerce industry in the Asia and The Pacific region as part of UNI Global Union’s Breaking Through Strategy.



“To achieve this vision, UNI Apro Commerce has decided to raise the bar in all areas of work and take concrete steps to influence the rules of engagement at the corporate, national and regional levels,” said Ian Blanthorn President UNI Apro Commerce.



“UNI Apro Commerce must intensify their efforts in organizing workers into trade unions, building strong trade unions that can effectively represent workers and influence policies that will secure socio economic justice for all workers. The retail industry has evolved and will continue to transform and grow,” said Christopher Ng, UNI Apro Regional Secretary. “The Retail Sector Trade Union Movement must also evolve it if want to grow and continue to be effective in representing the retail employees.”



At the conference, Christopher Ng, UNI Apro Regional Secretary launched the OSH Guidelines for the retail industry, a joint effort by UNI Apro and the ASEAN Services Employees’ Trade Unions Council (ASETUC). The purpose of the manual is to provide information and guidance for social partners and stakeholders to improve and enhance the health and safety standards in their company and the retail sector as a whole.



In the “Confronting the Organising Challenge” panel session moderated by Alke Boessiger HOD UNI Global Commerce, panelists and contributors shared their creative strategies and approaches in recruiting and organizing workers into trade unions. Panelist Kazuhide Hashimoto, UA ZENSEN encouraged using multiple approaches to organize workers in the changing landscape of work with non-regular workers and new types of employers. V.Mathilagan, UNICOME Malaysia and Dipa Bharadwaj, UNICOME Nepal shared their success in union awareness campaigns as the number of workers joining trade unions have increased and improvements in work standards have been observed. As part of South Korean KPSU’s win, Kang Gyu-Hyok announced the establishment of Tesco Homeplus union in March2013 with 10 local branches and more than 1,200 members. “This is a breakthrough in organizing and with this success, we can achieve more membership from other multinational commerce companies operating in Korea!” added Kang Gyu-Hyok.



The use of Global Agreements as an organizing tool would be beneficial to workers in global companies that had signed the agreement. This is especially so for countries that has limited trade union or collective bargaining rights in the legislation. According to Cheung Lai Ha RCCIGU Hong Kong, such agreement should be implemented, enforced and access to the employees be accorded to the trade union which is not the case in H&M Hong Kong.



TESCO Lotus Thailand Workers Union highlighted the improved industrial relations that included a joint collective bargaining agreement with all the three distributive centers with the management and the award recognizing the good track record of the Occupational Safety and Health in the TESCO Lotus DCs. “This is possible with the assistance of UNI Apro and USDAW” said Surapol Klindesorn, President TESCO Lotus Thailand Workers Union, “and the lesson learned from unions such as HERO Indonesia Union and USDAW of its partnership industrial relations concept assisted in building better relations”.



Gerard Dwyer, SDA Australia emphasized the importance of work, life, and family balance which ties with decent and secure work that provides ongoing employment, predictable rosters, maximum weekly hours, minimum shifts and leave provisions.



Kazuki Kamanaka from JAW Japan said that it is difficult to push for decent work in Japan as the companies in Japan favor corporate interest. “But this has not discouraged JAW from practicing labor-related initiatives to reduce the total working hours so that workers can achieve work-life balance.” JAW is making progress to restructure long working hours so that it is more beneficial to customers, employees and employers. Joseph Chua, SMMWU Singapore said that SMMWU is paying a lot of attention to raising productivity of workers in line with the government’s plans. “Singapore’s National Productivity and Continuing Education Council is focusing on improving retail productivity, especially for low-wage retail workers. The retail sector is also included in the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) and the S$86 million Retail Productivity Plan introduced by SPRING Singapore in 2011.” Joseph Chua also stressed the need to create quality jobs and mentioned the need to guarantee the “rights at work” where representation of PMEs and re-employment of older workers has received special attention. Chung Kyoung-Suk, KPSU Korea said that their union has been conducting stress and depression awareness campaign as front line retail workers face emotional toll from harassment, bullying and sometimes physical violence. The union is presently pressing authorities and employers for proper trainings in dealing difficult customers, compensation for “emotional labour” and recognition that treatment for stress and depression as an illness. Christopher Ng, UNI Apro Regional secretary, the moderator of this panel summarised the presentations while stressing on the need for the trade unions to work closely together to move forward in providing a better working environment for the workers.



Shoichi Hachino, Vice President UA ZENSEN also highlighted the need for UNI to work more closely with the other partners including the Global Union Federations. Hachino said that the Bangladesh Building and Safety Accord is a good example of a close working relationship between INDUSTRIALL and UNI.



Joseph de Bruyn, SDA National Secretary – Treasurer shared the union’s campaign for youths above 18 to receive the same pay as adults in Australia, their campaign to uphold the penalty rates for working in irregular hours and rest days as well as the union’s need to continue signing up members.



Speaking in the UNI Apro Commerce Committee Meeting, Alke Boessiger, HOD UNI Global Commerce provided updates on the Bangladesh Building and Safety Accord which will provide protection to workers in the manufacturing sector, which supplies the products to the retailers.



On the agenda of the conference was also the election of the UNI Apro Committee members. The conference re-elected Ian Blandthorn as the President of UNI Apro Commerce Committee and adopted the UNI Apro Commerce Breaking Through Action Plan for 2013-2017.



16 UNI Apro affiliates from 13 countries with 39 delegates (33% women), 15 observers and 25 staff attended the 4th UNI Apro Commerce Conference.

For the UNI Apro Commerce Breaking Through Action Program, the UNI Apro Commerce Sector Committee and representation, please refer to the Related Files tab.



For more pictures taken at the conference, please refer to http://www.flickr.com/photos/uniglobalunion/sets/72157635354079721/