Current Priorities and Programmes of ICFTU-APRO

Current Priorities and Programmes of ICFTU-APRO 10 May 2004 Mamiko Suzuki Youth Dept., Workers’ Rights Division ICFTU-APRO

ICFTU-APRO Organisational Chart REGIONAL CONFERENCE SPECIAL COMMITTEES REGIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD Youth Women’s REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE GENERAL SECRETARY SECRETARIAT (in Singapore) Workers’ Rights Division (Women, Youth, Education) Labour Policy Division Administration & Coordination Division Affiliated organisations: 28 countries, 41 organisations, over 30 million members

ICFTU-APRO Regional Conference • Every 4 years • Highest decision-making body • Election of GS at Conference (4 year term) • Composition of Regional Executive Board (REB elects President) • At the 1st REB meeting after the Conference, composition of Youth Cttee & Women’s Cttee (4 year term each)

18th APRO Regional Conference • Scheduled for 26-28 January 2005 in Kathmandu, Nepal • Discussion and adoption of Priorities for Action Paper • Policy statement on youth to be submitted by APRO Youth Cttee • Pre-Conference Event for youth

Priorities for Action Paper • To identify priorities for actions between 2 Conferences • To be decided through multi-level discussions within APRO structure • Regional (incl. Steering Cttee, Executive Board, Youth & Women’s Cttees) debates have been held for maximum participation & inclusion

Areas for Priorities for Action • Covering the main issues (political, economic, social, legal, etc.) that affect labour at all levels with a view to promoting and achieving Decent Work • Composition of Paper 1) Globalisation & its Deficits 2) Regional Overview 3) Priorities for Action (w/ points for discussion)

Actions for Priorities-I 1. International labour standards & workers’ rights 2. Employment 3. Trade union development cooperation 4. National & regional industrial relations 5. Institutional reforms 6. Working conditions 7. Occupational safety & health 8. Gender equality 9. Maternity protection 10. Sexual harassment 11. Youth

Actions for Priorities-II 12. Social dialogue with IFIs 13. Promotion of regional & interregional economic integration 14. Alliance with cooperative movement 15. Organising informal economy 16. Migrant workers 17. Capacity building in research 18. Elimination of Child Labour 19. Information strategy 20. Conservation of environment 21. Peace, disarmament and national development 22. Financial responsibilities of affiliates

1. ILS & Workers Rights • CLS towards Decent Work: growing un-/under-employment & crisis-hit countries not fully-recovered, political instability, economic downturn, etc. • Global social minimum • Ratification, implementation, violations • WTO & labor standards • OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) – 90% global FDI from OECD countries & business • UN Global Compact

2. Employment • 6.2% of workforce (185.9 million) unemployed • Unemployment rate in age group 15-24 years: 14.4% (88.2 million) • Additional 515 million fresh entrants into job market in 10 years • 550 million: working poor • Growing atypical and casual type employment

3. TU Development Cooperation • How to maximize the TU development cooperation & resources available at regional & national level • How to promote coordination between partners orgs • No unnecessary imposing of donors’ agendas • To promote international solidarity

4. National & Regional Industrial Relations • Actions adversely affecting industrial relations • ILO standards as a tool • Bipartite & tripartite relationship at national & regional (CAPE), incl. CB • OECD Guidelines for MNEs & UN Global Compact • ILO Codes of Conduct • GUFs Framework Agreements

5. Institutional Reforms • UN World Summit for Social Development (Johannesburg 2002) – TU recognized as key partner • Social safety nets • Bipartite & tripartite mechanisms • Political democracy • Legal framework • Tax reforms for equitable redistribution • Gender equity

6. Working Conditions • Working hours: toward 40 hour work-week (table) • Minimum wages & wages • Hours of work & wages • Poverty in crisis-hit countries higher than before crisis • Deteriorating working conditions in informal economy • Working poor (Table)

7-1. OSH • Growing number of OSH accidents (2 mil. deaths annually, 270 M. accidents, 160 M. occ. diseases) • HIV/AIDS • International Day for the Dead and Injured Workers (April 28) • Safety, health, environment cttees • OHSEI • ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS

7-2. HIV/AIDS • Over 40 mil. Infected with HIV • More than 7 mil. in Asia/Pacific, w/ high new infection (26%) • Women & HIV • Adult prevalence rate vs HIV-positive women rate South & Southeast Asia: 0.6% vs 35% East Asia & Pacific: 0.1% vs 20%

8. Gender Equality • Persistent inequality • Lack of representation • Higher unemployment for women • No equal pay for equal work (lack of national mechanism) • Informalization • Feminization of Migration • Union & Collective Bargaining: Greater pay advantage & benefits

9. Maternity Protection • Realities (ICFTU-APRO Survey): Not improving or deteriorating • Socialization of MP costs: low in AP • Lack of family-friendly policies • Few gender CBs • ILO 183: Ratification minimal

10. Sexual Harassment • Abuse of power & authority • Seriousness • Enactment of more national laws & policies • ICFTU-APRO Survey • Development & Adoption of International Standard (ILO) on SH

11. Youth • Youth unemployment: Much higher than overall unemployment • Mismatch between education/training and labour market • HIV/AIDS • Recruitment of young workers into TU

Action Plan-Youth (draft) The ICFTU-APRO will: • Encourage affiliates to establish youth structure with gender balance as instruments for participation in TU activities and recruitment through educational, social, recreational, welfare and other prgs and provide them for greater representation at union decision-making process. • Undertake research studies on situation of young workers in employment, skill training/re-training, wages, working conditions and living conditions incl. HIV/AIDS and drug as a base for comprehensive regional campaign for the youth • Organise gathering of young workers for their educational value through exchange of knowledge and experience as well as for fostering int’l solidarity • Encourage affiliates to send young leaders to APRO events for educational purpose • Encourage affiliates to take part in various events of ILO and other UN institutions

12. Social Dialogue with IFIs • IFIs policies and heavy impact on labor: Harsh conditionalities (Korea), No respect for CLS • Crisis-hit countries not fully recovered to pre-crisis level • Need for engagements with IFIs to reflect labor voice at national & regional level (eg. ICFTU-APRO regional dialogue) • Take advantage of policy change of IFIs (engagements with civil society, PRSPs, country ownership, etc.) • WTO

13. Regional & Interregional Economic Integration • Market liberalization (for business) • APEC, ASEM, AFTA, SAARC, etc. • Lack of trade union participation and space (vs. ABAC, Asia-Europe Business Forum) • APEC & ICFTU/APLN • Establishment of APEC Labor Forum • APRO as facilitator

14. Alliance with Cooperatives Movement • Shared goals – better working conditions and lives of workers through collective action • ICFTU-ICA joint work eg) ILO Recommendation on Cooperatives (R 193, 2002) • FPRW endorsed by ICA EB • Employment generation, poverty alleviation, HRD, organizing informal economy

15. Informal Economy • Declining jobs in formal economy • Not recognized • Not registered • Absence or lack of legal & social protection (eg. No coverage by labor laws, no social insurance, etc.) • Atypical work • ICFTU-APRO pilot projects following case studies in AP in 2001-2002

16. Migrant Workers • Growing migration (175 million migrants) • Feminization of migration (eg. Indonesia, Philippines, South Asia) • Contributions not recognized • Migrant workers unorganized • No protection & exploitation • Frequent changes of policies in host countries • International conventions not respected • Trafficking (Southeast Asia) • Undocumented migrants

17. Capacity Building Research • For effective TU responses to globalization, trade liberalization, BTAs, FTAs, etc. & impact on labor • APRO’s groundwork underway

18. Elimination of Child Labour • 246 million (127 million in AP) & growing [Table] • Low ratification of 182 [Table] • TU action

19. Information strategy • How to optimize communication • How to make best use of ITC • Media & TU

20. Conservation of Environment • UN Conference on Environment & Development in Rio (1992) • World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002) • Lack of concerted efforts • WEHAB (water, energy, health, agriculture, biodiversity) • Kyoto Protocol – Low Ratification • Global warming • Clean employment • OECD Guidelines for MNEs • UN Global Compact

21. Peace, Disarmament & National Development • No peace, no development • Arms race: US$800 bil p.a. for military expenditure, or 2.5% of global GDP [Table] • Global disarmament at snail’s pace • International terrorism • Massive casualties • Widening gap between rich & poor • Strengthening of UN structure (Security Council)

22. Financial Responsibilities of Affiliates • APRO is membership-based. • Member organizations’ responsibilities are essential for effective operation of APRO.

Policy Statement on Youth • To be drafted and finalised at 5th APRO Youth Cttee Mtg (11-12 Oct. 2004) • To be submitted to 18th Regional Conference for adoption • Mainly focusing on Youth Employment issue

Regional Survey on Situation of Young Workers 2002 • To compile thorough and firsthand information on young workers in the Asian and Pacific region  a comprehensive policy statement on young workers to be submitted to the 18th ICFTU-APRO Regional Conference • Conducted in 18 countries in the Asian and Pacific region, in cooperation with the affiliates Australia, Bangladesh, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan ROC, Thailand • Surveyed period: First half of 2002

2nd APRO Youth Cttee Mtg(8-9 July 2002, Manila, the Philippines) • Analysed the Regional Survey on Situation of Young Workers 2002 • Findings 1) Labour Market 2) Social Problems 3) Youth and Union

Findings of the Survey – 1Labour Market • Youth unemployment: higher than overall unemployment in all countries • Type of work: casual, atypical, irregular, temporary, part-time, contract • Jobs with long work hours and low-paid • Majority of youth: minimum wage or below • Small enterprises/informal economy • Generally non/less unionised industries

Findings of the Survey – 2Social Problems • Drug abuse: more working youth than students • HIV/AIDS (ignorance, insensitivity, indifference): mainly in 20-39 age group • Poverty • Housing • Suicides • High illiteracy (South Asia)

Findings of the Survey – 3Youth and Union • Overall unionisation: low • Youth: not joining union • Youth: not a priority for some trade unions • Youth in non/less unionised industries • Youth with casual work

3rd APRO Youth Cttee Mtg(19-20 Sept. 2003, Bangkok, Thailand) • Discussion on Youth Employment/Unemployment • Focusing on: 1) discrimination against youth in labour market 2) mismatch between education/training and labour market 3) unionisation of youth

Pre-Conference Event for Youth • Prior to 18th APRO Regional Conference • To ensure maximum youth participation in Conference • To promote solidarity among young trade union activists • To be planned and organised in consultation with APRO Youth Cttee e.g. seminar, workshop, campaign…

Current Priorities and Programmes of ICFTU-APRO