Planning Session on Bipartite Workplace Social Dialogue Mechanisms in Selected Ecozones and Industries
The ILO-EU Trade for Decent Work Project organized a virtual Planning Session on Bipartite Workplace Social Dialogue Mechanisms in Selected Ecozones and Industries on 2 June 2021. The ILO organized the planning workshop intending to gather leaders and representatives from both the workers and trade unions and the employers and business groups to identify challenges and opportunities for bipartite workplace cooperation, especially ecozone locators and export-oriented micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the garment, coconut, and sardine sectors.
The ILO-EU Trade for Decent Work Project organized a virtual Planning Session on Bipartite Workplace Social Dialogue Mechanisms in Selected Ecozones and Industries on 2 June 2021. The ILO organized the planning workshop intending to gather leaders and representatives from both the workers and trade unions and the employers and business groups to identify challenges and opportunities for bipartite workplace cooperation, especially ecozone locators and export-oriented micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)in the garment, coconut, and sardine sectors. Representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) also joined the event together with representatives from employer’s organizations and business sectors as well as worker’s organizations and trade unions.
Mr Khalid Hassan, Director of ILO Country Office for the Philippines (ILO CO-Manila), underscored the importance of bipartite workplace cooperation mechanisms, which significantly contribute to business sustainability and labour standards compliance, formally opened the planning session.
This was followed by a presentation from Mr Arun Kumar, Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue Specialist, ILO Decent Work Team (ILO DWT) Bangkok, who highlighted the ILO’s tripartite and bipartite compliance and workplace cooperation programs and mechanisms. Atty Ronda Malimban from DOLE- National Conciliation and Mediation Board (DOLE-NCMB) presented the bipartite workplace cooperation and social dialogue programs of DOLE for workers and employers in ecozones and export-oriented enterprises and industries. An open forum followed the first set of presentations, which allowed both ILO and DOLE-NCMB to engage with the employers and workers to expound on bipartite social dialogue mechanisms and workplace programs.
Afterwards, representatives from both the employers and workers group presented their respective views on bipartism and social dialogue based on freedom of association, especially in economic zones and export enterprises.
On the part of employers, Ms Nenita Fernando, Consultant of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), discussed the employer’s perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for bipartite workplace cooperation, labour law compliance, and harmonious and productive industrial relation in ecozones and export industries: employers’ perspective. On the part of workers, Mr Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) gave the trade unions’ response and perspectives on the possibilities and opportunities for bipartite workplace cooperation between labour and management. After the plenary presentations, the workshop participants broke out into three virtual groups based on the project’s key export sectors, namely, garments, coconuts and sardines.
For the breakout session on garments, the Confederation of Wearables Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) and ECOP represented the employers while members of FFW, TF2 Kilos Damit, National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), and Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) comprised the workers. Representatives from DOLE, PEZA, and DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR) were also present in the garments group.
For the coconuts breakout group, the United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP), Virgin Coconut Oil Producers Association of the Philippines (VCOP), and ECOP represented the employers. Meanwhile, FFW and the Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALLWIES) represented both formal and informal labour in the coconut sector. Also present were the PCA-Region IV office and the DTI-BITR.
As for the breakout group on sardines/fishing, the Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) and the ECOP-Zambasulta Chapter represented the employers while the Philippine Trade and General Workers’ Organization (PTGWO-TUCP) represented labour’s voice. DTI Region 9 Office also attended the sardines breakout group.
During all the breakout sessions, representatives from both employers and workers in the three sectors of garments, coconuts, and sardines brainstormed together to discuss challenges on social dialogue they both face in their respective sectors. Likewise, both workers and employers also jointly identified opportunities and proposed suggestions on how long-standing gaps and problems on bipartite social dialogue mechanisms, compliance, international labour standards, dispute resolution, workplace cooperation and productivity, and gain-sharing schemes can be addressed and improved, with capacity-building support and technical assistance from the ILO-EU Trade for Decent Work Project.
About 46 participants from employers and workers groups as well as government partners attended and participated in the bipartite planning session.
Mr Khalid Hassan, Director of ILO Country Office for the Philippines (ILO CO-Manila), underscored the importance of bipartite workplace cooperation mechanisms, which significantly contribute to business sustainability and labour standards compliance, formally opened the planning session.
This was followed by a presentation from Mr Arun Kumar, Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue Specialist, ILO Decent Work Team (ILO DWT) Bangkok, who highlighted the ILO’s tripartite and bipartite compliance and workplace cooperation programs and mechanisms. Atty Ronda Malimban from DOLE- National Conciliation and Mediation Board (DOLE-NCMB) presented the bipartite workplace cooperation and social dialogue programs of DOLE for workers and employers in ecozones and export-oriented enterprises and industries. An open forum followed the first set of presentations, which allowed both ILO and DOLE-NCMB to engage with the employers and workers to expound on bipartite social dialogue mechanisms and workplace programs.
Afterwards, representatives from both the employers and workers group presented their respective views on bipartism and social dialogue based on freedom of association, especially in economic zones and export enterprises.
On the part of employers, Ms Nenita Fernando, Consultant of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), discussed the employer’s perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for bipartite workplace cooperation, labour law compliance, and harmonious and productive industrial relation in ecozones and export industries: employers’ perspective. On the part of workers, Mr Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) gave the trade unions’ response and perspectives on the possibilities and opportunities for bipartite workplace cooperation between labour and management. After the plenary presentations, the workshop participants broke out into three virtual groups based on the project’s key export sectors, namely, garments, coconuts and sardines.
For the breakout session on garments, the Confederation of Wearables Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) and ECOP represented the employers while members of FFW, TF2 Kilos Damit, National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), and Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) comprised the workers. Representatives from DOLE, PEZA, and DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR) were also present in the garments group.
For the coconuts breakout group, the United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP), Virgin Coconut Oil Producers Association of the Philippines (VCOP), and ECOP represented the employers. Meanwhile, FFW and the Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALLWIES) represented both formal and informal labour in the coconut sector. Also present were the PCA-Region IV office and the DTI-BITR.
As for the breakout group on sardines/fishing, the Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) and the ECOP-Zambasulta Chapter represented the employers while the Philippine Trade and General Workers’ Organization (PTGWO-TUCP) represented labour’s voice. DTI Region 9 Office also attended the sardines breakout group.
During all the breakout sessions, representatives from both employers and workers in the three sectors of garments, coconuts, and sardines brainstormed together to discuss challenges on social dialogue they both face in their respective sectors. Likewise, both workers and employers also jointly identified opportunities and proposed suggestions on how long-standing gaps and problems on bipartite social dialogue mechanisms, compliance, international labour standards, dispute resolution, workplace cooperation and productivity, and gain-sharing schemes can be addressed and improved, with capacity-building support and technical assistance from the ILO-EU Trade for Decent Work Project.
About 46 participants from employers and workers groups as well as government partners attended and participated in the bipartite planning session.