The freedom of working people to form their own organizations to protect their rights and interests is a fundamental condition for any prosperous and democratic society. Unfortunately, the freedom of association (FOA) is also one of the most violated rights that deprive workers of the means to live dignified and secure lives. However, centuries of struggle by the world’s trade union movement has given us many means to protect this important freedom. Bodies such as the International Labor Organization (ILO) provide us with spaces to push for the respect of labor rights.
The trade unions of the Philippines, which have banded together in a unified effort in preparation for the upcoming ILO High Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM), are looking forward to their visit from January 23 – 27, 2023. The Mission, which was called by the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) of the ILO in 2019 will lay down recommendations for ensuring compliance with international labor standards in the country. After consulting the government, as well as employer and workers representatives, we expect the process to produce crucial reforms and policy proposals that will help improve the respect for the rights of Filipino workers.
Specifically, the trade unions are calling on the HLTM to urge the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to investigate and stop all FOA violations, particularly the killings, red-tagging, and unlawful arrest of trade unionists. To do this, the government must establish mechanisms to ensure the respect of FOA by proactively preventing future abuses and investigating previous violations.
This should be done through the establishment of a Presidential Commission (PC) on freedom of association chaired by the President of the Philippines or the Executive Secretary in the former’s absence. This committee will be responsible for the investigation of all cases of FOA violations and the strengthening of existing mechanisms by providing funding, manpower, and other necessary resources.
For the Philippine trade union movement, the government’s seriousness in applying the results of the high level mission is crucial given the potentially serious implications of the failure to abide by these. As many favorable economic arrangements such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) under the United States and Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) under the European Union are tied directly to compliance with international human rights conventions, the non-implementation of the HLTM’s findings threatens our access to these benefits.
Given the various threats like extrajudicial killings, red-tagging, and other forms of trade union repression that render Filipino workers vulnerable to multiple crises such as the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic, military conflicts, and a looming global recession, the loss of these economic advantages will be disastrous. Fortunately, this scenario can be mitigated if the Marcos government will fulfill its responsibilities and obligations towards the full respect of worker’s rights in the country.
Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa Progresibong Manggagawa 