Nadi (ILO News) - In disaster situations, the private sector has provided humanitarian assistance for decades. Large firms have delivered key services in the immediate aftermath of disaster, such as restoring power and communication lines (electricity companies, for example, can provide technical experts and mobilize heavy equipment) or providing an area for warehousing relief goods.

Yet the roles that business, through representative employer and business membership organizations (EBMOs), can play in preparing, planning and responding to a disaster is often underutilized.
The ILO says while the roles of business is recognized as critical, private sector coordination has been weak with mixed experiences.

The ILO Bureau for Employers Activities (ACTEMP) have conducted a one day training for Pacific Employer Organizations on disaster resilience, in Nadi, Fiji. The Workshop has been tailored to identify real life scenarios and experiences of businesses in areas such as Business Continuity Planning. ACTEMP is currently developing a ‘toolkit’ to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in disaster preparedness, and an employers’ resource pack for employers’ organisation to support their members enterprise in preparing and responding to disaster.

ILO Senior Specialist on Employer's Activities for Asia and the Pacific, Ms. Miaw Tang said “Employers and business membership organisation can play a really critical role, in particular in supporting SMEs in preparing their businesses and workers form the threat of natural disasters, which can have potentially fatal economic consequences. Most importantly is their ability, through their networks, in creating both awareness of the kinds of measures enterprises can take to improve their resilience and through actual training programmes.

The training has given participants the opportunity to explore the labour market impact of disasters in Pacific island countries. The training draws on the experiences of the ILO's Suva office and the ILO's Bureau for Employers' activities in conducting disaster-impact assessments, implementing employment-rich recovery projects and assisting micro, small and medium enterprises to establish disaster-resilient business practices.

Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF), CEO, Mr. Nesbitt Hazelman said “This training is timely and highly relevant. Fiji’s economy is propped up by Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s). The logical way forward for FCEF is to continue supporting SME’s to have Business Continuity Planning(BCP’s) in place to ensure the national economy is not so badly affected in the event of a natural disaster.”

Through interactive exercises, participants will be equipped with the know-how to better respond to, recover from and prepare for the adverse impact of disasters on the economy and labour market in Pacific island Countries.

For more information

Mr. Peter Blumel, ILO Office for Pacific Islands Countries, peterb@ilo.org