Freedom of association and collective bargaining

Promoting Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining

Freedom of association and collective bargaining rights are fundamental human rights. These rights also promote sound labour market governance and can contribute to addressing inequality and poverty. The Philippines has ratified ILO Convention Nos. 87 and 98. However, reports and decisions from the ILO’s supervisory bodies reflect restrictions on the exercise of these rights.

This Project is a continuation of ILO support to constituents to implement recommendations from the ILO High Level Mission to the Philippines as outlined in ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 and ILO Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, 1949. Country level objectives of the project include:
  • The police and the military including other relevant government bodies and local tripartite industrial peace council (TIPC) members have better knowledge and capacity to apply human rights, civil liberties, freedom of association and collective bargaining through the implementation of 2011 and 2012 Guidelines.
  • Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), workers and employers have better awareness and capacity for bipartite and tripartite social dialogue, including collective bargaining.
  • Enhanced knowledge and capacity of constituents to review labour laws and policies on non-standard forms of employment and evolving forms of employment.

Main activities:

  • Capacity building programme and workshop to improve capacity to evaluate and advance investigation and prosecution of cases involving violence against unionists.
  • Capacity building programme for new conciliators and mediators on the implementing rules and regulations of the new Mandatory Conciliation Law.
  • Training workshop for micro- small- and medium-scale enterprises on labour laws compliance through social dialogue.
  • Conduct of Policy Workshop on Collective Bargaining Reforms involving tripartite representatives at the national, regional and industry levels.
  • Drafting and consultations with tripartite structures on a strategy paper on collective bargaining reforms.
  • Design training module/programme for bipartite training on social dialogue, joint problem solving and good faith bargaining.
  • Bipartite training workshops for employers and workers in selected sectors or critical areas on social dialogue, joint problem solving and good faith collective bargaining.
  • Trade Union Leadership Trainings for at potential or new union officers on basic leadership skills, trade union administration, decent work, international labour standards, gender and climate.
  • Course on evolving forms of employment relationships and decent work for tripartite representatives.

Main outcomes:

  • At least 20 Department of Justice (DOJ) and Commission on Human Rights (CHR) officials trained on freedom of association and collective bargaining principles to improve capacity to evaluate and advance investigation and prosecution of pending cases concerning violence against unionists.
  • Core group of conciliators and mediators are better equipped to implement the new implementing rules and regulations of the Mandatory Conciliation Law.
  • At least 90 employer representatives from key or selected areas are provided with training on labour laws compliance through social dialogue.
  • Proposed national policy on collective bargaining drafted with ILO technical support.
  • At least 60 workers and employers have been provided with bipartite training on social dialogue, problem solving skills and collective bargaining based on good faith and have designed follow-up enterprise level action plans as post training output.

For further information please contact:

ILO Country Office for the Philippines (CO-Manila)
19th Floor, Yuchengco Tower
RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue
1200 Makati City, Philippines
Tel. +632 8580 9900
Fax +632 8856 7597
Email