IndustriALL trains Philippines T&C workers in negotiation skills

Workers from textile and garment factories and allied sectors affiliated with IndustriALL Global Union participated in a Collective Bargaining and Negotiation Training Course that was held at Antipolo City from March 3-5, 2017.

The training, supported by Japanese union UA Zensen in cooperation with IndustriALL Philippines, aimed to equip skills and augment the capacity of plant level union officers to negotiate for better working conditions. 25 local union officers and shop stewards were equipped with negotiation skills and collective bargaining strategies and techniques.

According to the participants, when trade union and collective bargaining rights are attacked by corporate globalization, then there is always a need for new approaches to collective bargaining, and it becomes essential for trade unionists to acquire adequate skills and innovative negotiation strategies. “We are delighted to be a part of this training. As a newly formed union it is timely that we adapt to this new learning so that we can immediately apply in our coming negotiation,” remarked George Otayde, Vice President of Lamitek Labour Union, one of the participants.

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Union density and collective bargaining coverage are low in the Philippines, leading unions to look at various types of collective bargaining so that more workers can be covered by collective agreements. “Real changes happened in our workplace. Earlier almost all workers were covered by our collective bargaining agreement, but today contractual workers outnumber regular workers, and those contractual workers are excluded from our collective bargaining agreement,” underlined Roland Vicencio, Union Officer – Frankhaus International Corp., adding, “Now that we are aware that this situation will eventually lead to the loss of our bargaining power and weaken the union, it is a challenge for the union to exert our collective effort to negotiate for inclusive provision of all workers regardless of their status.”