News

As part of the preparations for the 20th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting to be held in Bangkok on the 6 - 9 May 2008, the Thai Ministry of Labour, Thai Labour Solidarity Committee and the Employers Confederation of Thailand organised a seminar to develop recommndations on ways and means to promote and enhance decent work for the vulnerable workers for consideration by the ASEAN Labour Ministers. The Seminar held in Bangkok on the 20 April 2008 was supported by the FES Germany. The UNI Apro Regional Secretary, Christopher NG in his presentation to the Seminar pointed out that more can be done for workers, especially the increasing number vulnerable workers, including the migrant workers in ASEAN and on behalf of UNI-ASETUC, the ASEAN workers and their trade unions, he urges the ASEAN Labour Ministers: To adopt the ASEAN Social Charter (ASC) proposed by the trade unions and civil society groups operating in this region. The ASC is perceived as the social counterpart to ASEAN's economic, trade and investment architecture. It is designed to counter the negative impact of globalization on labor standards, income distribution, and social protection and security. He urge them to support the ILO global campaign for decent work and global observance of the universal core labour rights, namely, freedom of association and collective bargaining, non-discrimination at work, prohibition of forced labour and elimination of extreme forms of child labour. He called upon the ASEAN Labour Ministers to recognize trade unions as full social partners in national and regional development and establish the mechanism and structure such as the ASEAN Trade Union Advisory Council to institutionalize social dialogue and facilitate consultation between the trade unions with the region’s basic sectors and the existing ASEAN Business Advisory Council. The Regional Secretary also encouraged the employers and trade unions to forge social partnership and through a process of sincere and genuine dialogue develop practical strategy to adjust to the global competitive challenge. He reminded the tripartite partners gathered at the seminar, that true social partnership means treating the other party as a partner and according this partner the full respect and dignity befitting a partner. On the other hand, partnership also means that the other side, the trade union, is capable of becoming a responsible partner in every sense of the word. Such strategy, he inisted will have to include openness to union and employees suggestions on how to make certain business adjustments labour friendly and less painful to concerned employees, how to spread the benefits of business expansion and how to forge labour management co-operation on productivity and other profit-boosting measures. It will also require trade unions to be realistic in their response to the globalisation challenges. Rights come with responsibility. Trade unions cannot avoid, if need be, implement difficult and painful decisions. The ASEAN Secretary General, Dr Surin Pitsuwan reminded the participants that the ASEAN Community must not just be one market, one economy, one investment area, but also a community of caring societies. He pointed out the importance of effective social dialogue to achieve the ASEAN community of caring societies. He urges the grass-roots (people organisations inclduing trade unions) to continuously push on this and he will help deliver the same message from “in the middle” of ASEAN.