News Release
Department of Labor and Employment
January 23, 2022

DOLE receives ILO’S High-Level Tripartite Mission on trade union rights

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma received today a High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) authorized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) to make further inquiries on the state of compliance by the Philippine Government with ILO Convention No. 87 (Freedom of association and protection of the right to organize). Ratified by the Philippines in 1953, Convention No. 87 guarantees workers and employers the right to establish and join organizations of their own choosing without previous authorization from any government authority. The guarantee is reiterated in the Philippine Constitution and implemented through the Labor Code.

The HLTM is an independent three-person body composed of one representative each from governments, workers, and employers. It was created at the annual International Labor Conference (ILC) in 2019 in view of long-standing issues raised against the Philippine Government arising from its implementation of ILO Convention 87. These include allegations of extra-judicial killings, violence, intimidation, red-tagging, and harassment committed by State authorities against workers while exercising their trade union rights, and possible legislative reforms to strengthen the rights of workers to organize.

The HLTM, which will hold meetings with the DOLE, other government agencies, and workers’ and employers’ organizations from 23 to 26 January, is tasked to gain more information and to recommend possible assistance to the Philippine Government in taking immediate and effective action on four specific areas:

• Measures to prevent violence in relation to the exercise of workers and employers organizations’ legitimate activities;
• Investigation of allegations of violence against members of workers’ organizations with a view to establishing the facts, determining culpability, and punishing the perpetrators;
• Operationalization of monitoring bodies; and
• Measures to ensure that all workers without distinction are able to form organizations of their own choosing, in accordance with Convention No. 87.

Secretary Laguesma assured the HLTM of DOLE’s full cooperation and assistance in ensuring that the mission meets its objectives. He said that since July last year, DOLE has been holding dialogues with various labor groups on the issues sought to be addressed by the mission. One of its priorities for 2023 is to craft a tripartite roadmap and action plan in consultation with government agencies concerned as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations to address these issues. # #

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DOLE humarap sa ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission tungkol sa karapatan ng mga unyon

Hinarap ni Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma ang High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) na pinahintulutan ng International Labor Organization (ILO) na magsagawa ng karagdagang pagsisiyasat hinggil sa pagsunod ng pamahalaang Pilipinas sa ILO Convention No. 87 (Freedom of association and protection of the right to organize). Niratipikahan ng Pilipinas noong 1953 ang Convention No. 87 na gumagarantiya sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa at employer na magtatag at sumali sa mga organisasyon na kanilang pinili na di kinakailangan humingi ng pahintulot mula sa alinmang awtoridad ng pamahalaan. Nakasaad din ang garantiya sa Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas na ipinatutupad sa pamamagitan ng Labor Code.

Ang HLTM ay isang independent body na binubuo ng tatlong kinatawan mula sa pamahalaan, manggagawa, at employer. Ito ay nabuo sa taunang International Labor Conference (ILC) noong 2019 dahil sa matagal nang isyu na inihain laban sa pamahalaang Pilipinas na nagmula sa pagpapatupad nito ng ILO Convention 87. Kabilang dito ang mga diumano’y extra-judicial killings, karahasan, pananakot, red-tagging, at panliligalig na ginawa ng mga awtoridad ng pamahalaan laban sa mga manggagawa sa paggamit ng kanilang karapatan bilang unyon ng manggagawa, at pagpapatupad ng mga posibleng repormang pambatas upang palakasin ang mga karapatan ng mga manggagawa na mag-organisa.

Magsasagawa ang HLTM ng mga pagupulong kasama ang DOLE, iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan, at mga organisasyon ng manggagawa at employer mula Enero 23 hanggang 26, na naatasang kumuha ng karagdagang impormasyon at magbigay ng rekomendasyon sa pamahalaan ng Pilipinas para sa agaran at epektibong aksyon sa apat na partikular na hakbangin:

• Mga hakbang upang maiwasan ang karahasan kaugnay sa pagsasagawa ng mga lehitimong aktibidad ng mga manggagawa at mga organisasyon ng employer;
• Pagsisiyasat sa mga paratang na karahasan laban sa mga miyembro ng mga organisasyon ng mga manggagawa na may layuning maitaguyod ang mga katotohanan, matukoy ang paglabag, at parusahan ang mga may kasalanan;
• Pagpapatakbo ng monitoring bodies; at
• Mga hakbang upang matiyak na ang lahat ng manggagawa ay makakabuo ng mga organisasyon na kanilang pinili, alinsunod sa Convention No. 87.

Tiniyak ni Secretary Laguesma sa HLTM ang buong kooperasyon at tulong ng DOLE upang makamit ng mission ang kanilang layunin. Aniya, mula noong Hulyo ng nakaraang taon, ang DOLE ay nagsasagawa na ng mga dayalogo sa iba’t ibang grupo ng manggagawa sa mga isyung hinahangad na matugunan ng mission. Isa sa mga prayoridad nito para sa 2023 ay ang paggawa ng tripartite roadmap at action plan sa pakikipagtulungan ng mga kinauukulang ahensya ng pamahalaan gayundin sa mga organisasyon ng mga manggagawa at employer upang matugunan ang mga usaping ito. ##