ILO to PH: End violence, harassment, intimidation of workers seeking to self-organize

The International Labour Organisation has urged the Philippines to take steps to end violence, harassment, and intimidation of workers and trade union leaders seeking to self-organize, as well as to ensure that the Anti-Terrorism Act is not implemented to restrict Filipino workers’ civil liberties.

Following the 112th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva last June, the ILO’s Committee on the Application of Standards “deplored the new allegations of murders of trade unionists and anti-union violence, including red-tagging, since its previous discussion, as well as a lack of effective and expeditious investigations into these allegations.”

In its 34-page report, the ILO committee also urged the Philippines to implement the recommendations of the High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) that was recently in the country.

Given the discussions, the ILO body requested the Philippine government, “in consultation with the social partners, to:

• take immediate and effective measures, in line with previous recommendations of the Committee and the ILO High Level Tripartite Mission, to put an immediate end to any violation of freedom of association, including threats and harassment, surveillance, arbitrary arrest and detention, and extra-judicial killings, against union members for the legitimate exercise of their rights under the Convention;
• undertake, without delay, effective and independent investigations into the new allegations of violence against members of workers’ organizations and expedite those that are pending with regard to all allegations reported since 2015;
• take measures to ensure the effective prevention of any violence perpetuated in connection with the exercise of workers’ and employers’ organizations legitimate activities and ensure that such organizations can exercise their activities within the framework of a system which guarantees the effective respect of civil liberties and freedom of association rights;
• address as a matter of urgency all concerns relating to the status and content of the roadmap with the social partners and ensure their full participation in its monitoring and implementation;
• ensure the effective functioning of the monitoring bodies and provide regular information to the Committee of Experts in this regard;
• continue to promote comprehensive training activities, with a solid focus on freedom of association and collective bargaining, among government agencies with the help of ILO technical assistance;
• ensure that the Anti-Terrorism Act is not implemented so as to restrict legitimate union activities and related civil liberties contrary to the Convention;
• ensure that the following legislative matters are promptly addressed with a view to bringing national legislation into conformity with the Convention as soon as possible: House Bills Nos 1152 and 4941; and
• ensure that all workers without distinction are able to form and join organizations of their choosing in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention.”

The ILO body also requested the Philippine government, “in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to submit a detailed report to the Committee of Experts by 1 September 2024 containing information on the implementation of the above measures and progress made in this regard.”