Labour Standards and Trade

EU, business and labour org host forum on labour standards and trade, discuss decent work and sustainable trade in Philippine value chains

The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines (EUD), the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the EU-Philippines Business Network (EPBN), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have come together to host a forum entitled Labour Standards and Trade: A Discussion on Decent Work and Sustainable Trade in Philippine Value Chains.

Press release | Manila, Philippines | 05 June 2018
The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines (EUD), the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the EU-Philippines Business Network (EPBN), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have come together to host a forum entitled Labour Standards and Trade: A Discussion on Decent Work and Sustainable Trade in Philippine Value Chains.

With the complexity, diversity, and fragmented nature of global supply chains, challenges remain that continue to impede on decent work. As such, consumer, investor, and multinational corporations products must be produced with respect for international labour standards. Similar to their Filipino counterparts, multinational companies are finding themselves in more open positions in which scrutiny and cross-examination are prevalent. How a company operates, with whom and under what conditions it operates are factors that increasingly form part of consumer awareness. Applying core labour standards also makes good business sense as it increases productivity and reduces the real costs of contracting workers. With this, the EUD, ECCP, EPBN, and ILO have joined together to host a discussion between dignitaries, members of the Philippine-European business community, as well as government, civil society, and labour organizations.

“International labour standards are crucial to ensure that trade and economic growth provide benefits to all through decent work and social justice. The world of work is changing in an unprecedented scale. It is up to us to shape and to decide the future of work – a future that leaves no one behind and avoids a race to the bottom,” comments Khalid Hassan, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for the Philippines

"Labour standards are debated a lot in the Philippines. This is good. Good labour conditions support inclusive growth and help productivity. Given today's world of rapid communication, companies who know their supply chains will be more successful in the longer term. So labour standards make sense, also business-sense" EU Ambassador Franz Jessen adds.

ECCP President Guenter Taus also adds, “With human resources as the most valuable asset of any company, international labour standards are ever more important especially as the Philippines strives for global competitiveness. In the spirit of inclusive growth, we must look at these standards as tools to success not only to the company but to the Filipino workforce as well.”

Topics for discussion include:
  1. core labour standards and trade between the EU and the Philippines,
  2. Trade and values: The EU perspective and policies,
  3. the role of international labour standards in trade and how the implementation of core labour standards affect the cost of doing business, and
  4. challenges in encouraging the implementation of core labour standards and the best way forward.
Some of the speakers and panelists expected to be present at the forum include EU Ambassador Franz Jessen, EUD Head of Trade and Economics Section Walter Van Hattum, ECCP and EPBN Advocacy Manager Atty. Kaye Pioquinto-Enriquez, ILO Director Khalid Hassan, representatives from DTI, DOLE, labour groups, as well as key representatives from the business community, including representatives from corporations such as the Ayala Group, and OSM Maritime Services.

For further information please contact:

Ms Minette Rimando
ILO Country Office for the Philippines - Manila
+63 2 580 9905 or 580 9900
Email

Ms Thelma Gecolea
EU Delegation to the Philippines
+632 859 5124
Email

Ms Antonette Mendoza
ECCP & EPBN
+63 2 623 4715
Email