Philippines to host trade union post-COVID sub-regional conference

Over 30 trade unions and workers' organizations representatives from 10 countries in Asia and the Pacific will convene in the Philippines for a sub-regional conference to promote decent work, which aims to improve the living conditions of millions of workers still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Media advisory | Manila, Philippines | 04 October 2022
Garment workers in the Philippines.©ILO/E. Tuyay
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Meeting face to face for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trade Union Strategies for Resilience and Renewal post-COVID sub-regional conference happening in the Philippines will bring together 30 trade unions and workers' organizations representatives from 10 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Joining representatives of these organisations to support workers' organizations and promote workers' rights is International Labour Organization's Bureau for Workers' Activities (ILO ACTRAV) director Maria Helena Andre, who also schedules a series of meeting with the constituents in the Philippines.

The sub-regional conference will be held on 10-11 October 2022. It will be open for interviews and coverage by the press on Tuesday, 11 October 2022 at 9:00 a.m. in Manila. It will take place in the Leviste-Dela Rosa-Paseo or LevDePas Function Room at the 2nd floor of the Makati Diamond Residences 118 Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City, Philippines (across Greenbelt 1).

Journalists and media representatives seeking to cover the conference are asked to contact Ms Minette Rimando, ILO Manila Media and Public Information by email on or before Friday, 7 October to confirm a slot.

Please note that health and safety rules apply. Additional steps will be taken above and beyond what is required by public health standards. Lunch and meals will be provided during the day.

Asia and the Pacific is still feeling the lasting and ongoing effects of health and economic crisis more than two and a half years since the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic upheaval. Health, jobs, and incomes of millions of workers in the region were at risk, as COVID-19 and its suppression put a substantial brake on many economic and social activities. In this context, trade unions in the region worked hard to advocate for social packages that include social protection measures and occupational health and safety, to name a few.

Unfortunately, those workers most affected by the pandemic are groups of people who were already marginalized in the labour market, namely women, youth, and informal workers. As they come out of the pandemic after two demanding and damaging years, these marginalised workers need these organizations to stand up for their rights and address needs.

Today, there is a pressing need for the labour movement in Asia and the Pacific to exchange lessons learned and good practices towards building forward better. Workers’ organizations, at national but also at sub-regional level, must work together to push for the decent work agenda. Concerted efforts are needed to help the millions of workers still affected by the pandemic to secure their livelihoods and improve conditions.