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The meeting was organized by the International Institute for Labour Studies in collaboration with the Korea Labour Institute, Seoul. It took place in the Conference Hall of the Centre for Communication and Mass Media (CCMM) in Yeoido, Seoul. There were 35 participants, including prominent academic scholars, trade union leaders, members of the ILO Governing Body, officials of the ICFTU Asia Pacific Regional Office, media persons and ILO officials. Twenty participants came from outside Korea. A list of participants who attended the meeting is attached to this report.

The Seoul meeting was the first major regional meeting of the Labour and Society Programme. Its main objective was to facilitate a region-specific flow of information, thoughts and ideas on the future of trade unions in Asia. To this end, a number of studies based on the theme of "Trade Union Responses to Globalization" were discussed at the meeting. The discussions mainly focussed on the experiences of countries in East and South-East Asia. A list of papers presented at the meeting is attached to this report.

The meeting commenced with an inaugural session which was presided by Professor Funkoo Park, President of the Korea Labour Institute. Mr. Kim Sang Nam, Vice Minister of Labour, Republic of Korea, Mr. Lee Namsum, Director General of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and Mr. Yang Kyung-kyu, Vice Chairman of the Korea Congress of Trade Unions delivered speeches welcoming the participants to the meeting. On behalf of the Institute, Mr. A. V. Jose welcomed the participants to the meeting and also explained the activities and output organized under the Labour and Society Programme, in particular the on-line conference on "Organized Labour in the 21 ^st Century".

After the inauguration, the meeting was structured into a series of technical sessions in which various papers were taken up for detailed discussion. The technical sessions followed a uniform format. Each study was presented by the author concerned; subsequently commented on by two designated discussants; and finally opened to the floor for comments. A detailed agenda listing the content of the technical sessions is attached to this report.

The sessions helped to bring practitioners, researchers and policy advisors to a common forum. They gave a candid and insightful assessment of trade union strategies in the Asian region, and raised pertinent questions for further reflection and analysis. Some important issues and topics which came up for discussion are listed below:

(a) Making better use of information technology and electronic media for the purpose of promoting collaboration and sharing of information among trade unions. In this regard it was suggested that the current interactive conference on "Organized Labour in the 21 ^st Century" should be made more broad-based, and that the results and findings of the on-line conference should be publicized and disseminated with a view to stimulating further discussion on the future of the labour movement.

(b) An assessment of the reasons why unions have suffered in recent times a decline in membership density and concomitantly a reduction of their political influence. The deliberations focussed on priorities and strategies required to revitalize unions as well as to enhance their image and visibility in society.

(c) Organizing and expanding the membership base of unions was rightly identified as the number one priority for unions in the Asian region. The need for a concerted effort to take unions to the informal sector and focus more on organizing the atypical workers hired on precarious employment contracts was emphasized by the participants. Establishing legal and institutional safeguards for atypical workers should receive greater attention in the campaigns and organizing strategies of unions.

(d) Unions also need to organize campaigns for national level labour legislation to give recognition to trade unions in conformity with international standards.

(e) Coordination of union activities at the regional level in collaboration with international trade union federations. It was also suggested that unions need to develop new structures corresponding to the new forums for regional economic integration such as ASEAN, APEC and SAARC.

(f) Union initiatives at the regional level for getting more countries to adopt the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. More importantly they should exercise political influence leading to the establishment of administrative arrangements for enforcing those standards.

(g) The role of unions in promoting democratic institutions, rule of law and human rights covering the entire society. The discussants emphasized that in many Asian countries, the labour movement has raised the level of political awareness, influenced social policy, and contributed to building institutions for social protection, especially safe working conditions and environment.

(h) The discussions threw light on the potentially significant role of unions towards building social cohesion through establishing institutions for skill development and mobilization of investable resources, and through the development of cooperatives aimed at the provision of housing, credit and consumer services.

(i) It was argued that in East and South-East Asia in the aftermath of economic crisis and recession, the workers and their unions have made profound sacrifices in a bid to turn around their crisis-ridden economies. Creating appropriate institutions for social security can help minimize the adverse impacts of future economic crises in the region.

(j) The significance of unions promoting social dialogue with a view to ensuring equity and justice in the entire region came up for discussion. It was pointed out that unions have in the past utilized their leverage with governments and transnational corporations for the spread of fair labour standards, in particular, non-discriminatory employment practices, freedom of association and non-use of child labour.

(k) Greater investment of resources for workers' education. Unions should establish forums where workers can discuss and suggest solutions in the light of their experience and expertise and acquire training for participation in the new forums for social dialogue.

(l) The need for organizing more studies on the emerging union structures (in particular, on enterprise unionism, leading to a comparative evaluation of union strategies in different countries) was pointed out. It was also announced at the meeting that the ICFTU-APRO would establish the Asia Pacific Industrial Relations Institute and that they look forward to closer collaboration with the ILO and the IILS in organizing research and training programmes under the auspices of the new institute.

The concluding session was presided over by Professor Bae Moo Ki, Chairperson of the National Industrial Relations Commission in Korea. The session was addressed by Mr Zainal Rampak and Mr Khurshid Ahmed, members of the ILO Governing Body and also by Mr. Noriuki Suzuki, General Secretary of the ICFTU-APRO. In the course of discussions during the session it was decided that a report of the papers and proceedings of the Seoul meeting should be brought out jointly by the IILS and the KLI. The Director of the KLI has offered to share the expenses for the publication of this volume.

The meeting ended with a visit by all the participants to a modern electronics factory, LG Corporation in Seoul.

KLI

• Park, Funkoo, President of the KLI
• Lee, Won-Duck, Vice President
• Choi, Young-Ki, Senior Research Fellow
• Lee, Byoung-Hoon, Research Fellow
• Lee, Joohee, Research Fellow

ICFTU-APRO

• Noriyuki Suzuki, General Secretary
• Sabur Ghayur, Economist

Indonesia

• Djufnie Ashary, General Chairman, Pharmaceutical and Health Workers Union
• Aloysius Uwiyono, University of Indonesia

Japan

• Tadashi Hanami, Research Director-General, JIL
• Sadahiko Inoue, Deputy Director General, JTUC,
• Shoya Yoshida, International Policy Division, Rengo
• Hak-Soo Oh, Research Fellow, JIL

Korea

• Bae, Moo-Ki, President of the National Labor Relations Council
• Ahn, Pong-Sul, Director of International Solidarity, FKTU
• Um, Kyu Sook, Research Fellow, FKTU Research Center
• Lee, Sang Hak, Executive Director of External Affairs, KCTU
• Yoon, Young-Mo, Director of International Solidarity, KCTU
• Kim Joo Hee, International Officer, KMTF
• Kang, Byoung Jo, International Officer, KFCTU
• Song, Ho Keun, Professor of Sociology Department, Seoul National University
• Park, Young-Bum, Professor of Economics Department, Hansung University
• Peter Meyer, Director of Seoul Office, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Malaysia

• Zainal Rampak, President, Malaysian TUC
• Govindasamy Rajasekaran, General Secretary, Malaysian TUC

Pakistan

• Khurshid Ahmed, General Secretary, All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions

Philippines

• Zoilo V. de la Cruz, Vice President, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines
• Ruben Torres, Torres Trajano and Associates Law Offices

Singapore

• Halima Yacob, Director, Singapore Institute of Labour Studies
• Evelyn Wong, Director, National TUC Administration and Research Unit

Thailand

• Voravidh Charoenloet, Professor, Chulalongkorn University

ILO

• A.V. Jose, Head, Labour and Society Programme, IILS, ILO Geneva
• Satoru Tabusa, Bureau for Workers' Activities, ILO Geneva

Invitees who prepared papers for discussion:

Mr. A.V. Jose (ILO) - "The future of the labour movement: Some observations on developing countries";

Mr. Sadahiko Inoue (Deputy Director General, JTUC, Tokyo) - "Japanese trade unions and their future: Opportunities and challenges in an era of globalization";

Mr. Ho Keun Song (SNU) - "Challenge and choice of Korea's labour unions in democratization and globalization";

Prof. Tadashi A. Hanami (Research Director-General, Japan Institute of Labour) - "The changing role of trade unions in Japan";

Mr. Govindasamy Rajasekharan (Malaysian TUC) - "Lessons from the Asian financial crisis: The role and involvement of unions in the development of social safety nets, employment insurance and retrenchment benefits for workers in Malaysia";

Ms. Evelyn Wong (Singapore) - "The partnership of trade unions in national development programmes and in the promotion of skill mobility among workers";

Mr. Shoya Yoshida (Rengo, Japan) - "The industrial relations - policies and practices - of Japanese multinational enterprises in Asian countries";

Mr. Byoung-Hoon Lee (Korea Labour Institute) - "The contribution by trade unions to growth and equity in Korea through the medium of social dialogue";

Mr. Ruben Torres (Philippines) - "The role of trade unions in public policy making in the Philippines";

Mr. Aloysius Uwiyono (Indonesia) - "Trade unions and the promotion of human rights and labour standards";

Dr. Voravidh Charoenloet (Chulalonghorn University, Thailand) - "The Thai labour movement and the health reform".

Invitees who commented on the papers:

Mr. Noriyuki Suzuki, General Secretary, ICFTU-APRO, Singapore

Mr. Sabur Ghayur, Economist, ICFTU-APRO Singapore

Mr. Zainal Rampak, President, Malaysian TUC

Ms. Halima Yacob, National TUC, Singapore

Mr. Khurshid Ahmed, General Secretary, All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions

Mr. Zoilo V. de la Cruz, Vice-President, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines

Mr. Djufnie Ashary, General Chairman, Pharmaceutical and Health Workers Union, Indonesia

Prof. Moo Ki Bai, Chairman, National Labour Relations Commission

Dr. Funkoo Park, President, Korea Labour Institute

Dr. Young-Bum Park, Visiting Fellow, Korea Labour Institute

Mr. Satoru Tabusa, Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV), ILO Geneva