Social Dialogue in Mining Sector

Strengthening employers’ capacity for enhanced social dialogue in the mining industry

The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Project on Improving Workers' Rights in the Rural Sectors of the Indo-Pacific with a focus on Women held a meeting with the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and Nickel Asia Corporation to discuss areas for collaboration and partnership with the aim to improve promotion and compliance on labour laws, occupational safety and health (OSH) and gender equality in the mining industry.

The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Project on Improving Workers' Rights in the Rural Sectors of the Indo-Pacific with a focus on Women held a meeting with the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and Nickel Asia Corporation last 8 October 2021 via Zoom, to discuss areas for collaboration and partnership with the aim to improve promotion and compliance on labour laws, occupational safety and health (OSH) and gender equality in the mining industry.  

 

ECOP, will take the lead in the implementation of activities for employers for the target rural sectors, including the mining sector, under the Project. While Nickel Asia, one of ECOP’s members from the mining industry has expressed interest to take part in the project in coordination with ECOP. The project on the other hand, will work with Nickel Asia’s  partner workers’ organisations to deliver the counterpart interventions for workers.

 

This meeting follows the series of learning sessions on decent work and gender equality attended by 115 Nickel Asia management and workers’ representatives ( 64 males, 51 females), which was requested by Nickel Asia last 14 and 16 September 2021 via Zoom, with the aim to raise awareness and improve understanding on labour standards and gender equality among representatives from the Nickel Asia management, trade unions, subsidiaries, and partners from the local communities where Nickel Asia operates.

 

ILO Project Manager Cerilyn Pastolero and Partnership Development Officer Ana Liza Valencia, served as resource persons during the learning sessions. These initiatives were undertaken as part of the project’s aim to enhance enabling environment for the promotion and compliance on labour laws, gender equality and occupational safety and health (OSH) in the pilot enterprises, along their supply chains and in the communities where they operate. During the learning sessions, both the management and union representatives of Nickel Asia expressed their interest to work with the Project at the enterprise and their local communities including at the industry level where they can leverage their membership in the Mining ITC in the CARAGA region and in the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CoMP).