ASIA
26 March 2014
Asian trade unions seek win-win solutions
The Asia-Pacific trade union group, UNI Apro, is seeking an amicable solution between the interests of management and trade unions.
The Asia-Pacific trade union group, UNI Apro, is seeking an amicable solution between the interests of management and trade unions, said Chris Ng in his welcome address to a Bangkok conference yesterday. Ng is Regional Secretary of the Singapore-based regional organization which has 180 affiliates in 20 countries, with a total membership of about 3 million workers.
This conference on the media, entertainment and arts sector is one of a series of ten events being held this week in Bangkok, Thailand, under the auspices of the 4th UNI Apro Joint Sector Conference for the Commerce, Finance, ICTS, Post and Logistic, MEI and Graphical Sectors.
Reflecting the spirit of labor/management cooperation, Dr Anak Preamwongsaynee, CEO of MCOT Broadcasting Co., made a thematic address on "Thailand Media Reform in the Digital Economy".
Ng highlighted the growing informalization of the labor market in Asia, as more and more workers are hired on a casual, part-time, contract or informal basis. Companies insist that they need such flexibility to compete in today's global market place, chactacterized by rapid technological change. But workers are suffering from job insecurity, insufficient training and low salaries.
"We need an amicable solution", said Ng, "the best of both worlds".
"Employers, workers and governments are all in the same boat", he continued. UNI-Apro is endeavoring to foster an enabling environment for social dialogue, so that management and workers can work together.
UNI Apro is the Asia-Pacific branch of UNI Global Union, which is the voice of 20 million service sector workers around the world. Through 900 affiliated unions, UNI represents workers in 150 countries and in every region of the world. UNI represents workers in the Cleaning & Security; Commerce; Finance; Gaming; Graphical & Packaging; Hair & Beauty; ICTS; Media, Entertainment & Arts; Post & Logistics; Social Insurance; Sport; Temp & Agency Workers and Tourism industries.
Its mission is to grow and strengthen affiliated unions and UNI Global Union to improve the working conditions and lives of workers in the services and allied sectors. UNI Global Union is working with its member unions to change the rules of the game in the global labour market.
UNI has signed 43 Global Agreements with multinational companies to agree to workers’ rights standards for all of these companies’ workers in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. It believes that since companies set up global strategies to deal with workers, then workers need global strategies to deal with companies.
"I believe that workers and management must talk together in a spirit of cooperation. It takes time, often a long time, to achieve constructive dialogue. I may be a patient man, but I have seen great progress in my long career", Chris Ng told the Asian Century Institute.
Executive Director
Asian Century Institute
www.asiancenturyinstitute.com
This conference on the media, entertainment and arts sector is one of a series of ten events being held this week in Bangkok, Thailand, under the auspices of the 4th UNI Apro Joint Sector Conference for the Commerce, Finance, ICTS, Post and Logistic, MEI and Graphical Sectors.
Reflecting the spirit of labor/management cooperation, Dr Anak Preamwongsaynee, CEO of MCOT Broadcasting Co., made a thematic address on "Thailand Media Reform in the Digital Economy".
Ng highlighted the growing informalization of the labor market in Asia, as more and more workers are hired on a casual, part-time, contract or informal basis. Companies insist that they need such flexibility to compete in today's global market place, chactacterized by rapid technological change. But workers are suffering from job insecurity, insufficient training and low salaries.
"We need an amicable solution", said Ng, "the best of both worlds".
"Employers, workers and governments are all in the same boat", he continued. UNI-Apro is endeavoring to foster an enabling environment for social dialogue, so that management and workers can work together.
UNI Apro is the Asia-Pacific branch of UNI Global Union, which is the voice of 20 million service sector workers around the world. Through 900 affiliated unions, UNI represents workers in 150 countries and in every region of the world. UNI represents workers in the Cleaning & Security; Commerce; Finance; Gaming; Graphical & Packaging; Hair & Beauty; ICTS; Media, Entertainment & Arts; Post & Logistics; Social Insurance; Sport; Temp & Agency Workers and Tourism industries.
Its mission is to grow and strengthen affiliated unions and UNI Global Union to improve the working conditions and lives of workers in the services and allied sectors. UNI Global Union is working with its member unions to change the rules of the game in the global labour market.
UNI has signed 43 Global Agreements with multinational companies to agree to workers’ rights standards for all of these companies’ workers in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. It believes that since companies set up global strategies to deal with workers, then workers need global strategies to deal with companies.
"I believe that workers and management must talk together in a spirit of cooperation. It takes time, often a long time, to achieve constructive dialogue. I may be a patient man, but I have seen great progress in my long career", Chris Ng told the Asian Century Institute.
Author
John WestExecutive Director
Asian Century Institute
www.asiancenturyinstitute.com