The Leaders Forum, a group of employer and labor organizations, has released a joint statement issuing policy recommendations to improve workers’ rights in the country.
The employer-labor group consists of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), and Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO).
“For two years in a row, the Philippines labor rights situation has been under the global spotlight in the International Labour Organization (ILO) since its January 2023 High-Level Tripartite Mission on Freedom of Association to the Philippines,” the Leaders Forum said in a statement.
“The Leaders Forum…issues this Joint Position outlining proposed courses of action which should be part and parcel of the tripartite implementation report of the Philippines requested by the ILO by September 1 towards concrete meaningful progress in fostering harmonious labor-management relations to uplift the lives and livelihood of Filipino workers and their families,” it added.
Among its recommendations is for the Inter-Agency Committee (IAC) for the Protection of the Freedom of Association and Right to Organize of Workers — to regularly convene.
The Leaders Forum also suggested aligning national policy and practice with international labor standards as articulated by ILO Conventions.
Additionally, it proposed to increase the budget of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), provide witness protection until cases are resolved, increase reparations and expedite their release to the families of victims of human rights violation.
“We reiterate our earlier call for government to continue the investigation, prosecution, and disposition of all labor-related cases affecting freedom of association and collective bargaining, without delay and in the interest of justice,” the Leaders Forum added.
Lastly, it sought to review the continued operation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) “on the basis of possible redundancy or overlapping functions with other agencies.”
