The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-10 attended the exclusive meeting on FoA to promote common understanding and strengthen areas of convergence in upholding the whole-of-nation approach to ending local communist armed conflict.
Under International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 87 on FoA and Protection of the Right to Organize, workers and employers have the fundamental right to freedom of association and the right to form and be part of labor organizations or workers’ associations without distinctions of any kind, such as race, color, gender, language, religion, political, social origin, or status, and this includes export processing zones.
“The exercise is not an absolute right, but rather a right with limitations in accordance with the law. It is the right to form, join, or assist unions, organizations, or associations for the purpose of collective bargaining, for dealing with employers concerning terms and conditions of employment, for the mutual aid and protection of its members, or for any legitimate purpose other than collective bargaining,” said Charisse N. Canios of DOLE-10.
DOLE-10 discussed FoA principles and other programs to further strengthen the capacities of the attendees through labor and employment education services in ensuring the protection of workers’ rights and maintenance of industrial peace through peaceful concerted activities in policy and decision-making processes affecting their rights and benefits.
Also discussed was that all persons employed in commercial, industrial, and agricultural enterprises and in religious, charitable, medical, or educational institutions, whether operating for profit or not, shall have the right to self-organization and to form, join, or assist labor organizations of their own choosing for purposes of collective bargaining.
Any group of workers may organize for the mutual benefit and protection of its members, or for any legitimate purpose other than collective bargaining.
Meanwhile, alien or foreign employees with valid working permits issued by DOLE have the right to self-organization for the purpose of collective bargaining if they are nationals of a country that grants the same or similar rights to Filipino workers as certified by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The regional activity strengthened the capacities of security forces through labor governance education, specifically in FoA, to ensure that security forces respect fundamental principles for the labor and employment sectors. (DOLE-10/PIA-10)
