National Workshop on Organizing, Collective Bargaining and Wage Policy in Timor Leste
The workshop aims to contribute towards technical and organizational capacities of trade union representatives to propose concrete policies and actions for promotion of decent wage policy in Timor-Leste.
Background
Timor-Leste became an independent country on 20 May 2002. As a new country, it faces many development challenges. The main issues facing unions are: low incomes, lack of social protection and inadequate respect for workers’ rights to freedom of association & collective bargaining. Absence of effective tripartite and bipartite social dialogue to take on-board workers views on socio-economic policies is also adding to the social and industrial relations problems.
Despite reaping the benefits from rising oil and gas prices in the last decade, poverty remains high, especially in the rural areas where the majority of the population lives. If development has to be sustainable, the sources of growth need to be diversified (into non-agricultural industrial and services sectors) and sources of demand need to go beyond the government. For this it is essential that the country also adopts wage policy in which workers share in the gains from ‘growth’ which their labour helps to produce. Wage policy is essential element of the growth policy of the country and what happens to the wages matters for the economy. Therefore there is a need for incomes & wages policy as part of decent work strategy - to ensure that countries’ growth benefits workers and helps fight poverty.
Konfederasaun Sindikatu Timor Leste (KSTL) is the sole trade union center in Timor Leste. It is of the view that decent work and social justice are building blocks for sustainable economic development. It has been demanding productive employment and a wage policy that protects low-paid workers, increases disposable incomes & promotes sustainable growth. Both the minimum wage mechanism and collective bargaining have a role to play in this – as part of the strategy for addressing the crisis of distributive justice and to help promote Decent Work in the economy. The union would like to prepare its young union leaders for bi-partite and tripartite social dialogue and collective bargaining for decent work-decent wages.
This workshop therefore aims to contribute to the capacity development of the workers' representatives for social dialogue and union actions for promotion of decent work-decent wages. The training programme will focus on analysing effectiveness and shortcomings of existing policies and practices regarding employment, FoA, collective bargaining and social protection, keeping in view the ILO standards and needs of the workers. Based on workshop discussions, participants will prepare and propose follow up work plans for strengthening the work of their trade unions in the areas of organizing, collective bargaining, employment security and wage policies.
Objectives
- Contribute towards the organizational and technical capacities of the unions for promoting decent work through organizing, collective bargaining and social dialogue over wage policy issues;
- Enhance knowledge and use of ILO’s policies and standards, including the Decent Work Agenda, for promoting decent employment & sustainable development; and
- Assist unions to prepare follow up work plans aimed promotion of decent work in Timor Leste.