Asia-Pacific regional Exco addresses workers' rights amid escalating challenges

The women's committee meeting, which met before the regional executive committee, brought to light significant challenges faced by women workers. These included sexual harassment in the mining sector, a pronounced gender pay gap in political and economic spheres, the necessity for the inclusion of LGBTQI+ workers in unions, and the impacts of artificial intelligence on women workers.

Reports highlighted the dire situation faced by young workers in Myanmar, who are fleeing the country to escape the military junta's forced conscription law. In Indonesia, the government's implementation of the Omnibus Law has significantly weakened workers' rights.

IndustriALL's South Asian affiliates are actively urging governments to repeal regressive labour law reforms and enhance measures to prevent mining fatalities and industrial accidents, focusing on Pakistan and India. These affiliates also demand an immediate stop to violence against unionists and legitimate union activities, especially in Bangladesh.

Amid strong inflation pressures, IndustriALL affiliates in the Philippines and Malaysia are calling for a decent living wage. In the Philippines, unions are backing the Wage Recovery Act, which proposes a daily wage increase of PHP150 (US$2.7) for private sector workers. Malaysian unions are pushing for a mandatory progressive wage policy to address stagnant real wages.

IndustriALL's vice president and Asia Pacific co-chair, Akihiro Kaneko, said:

"This is a crucial year for all of us, election outcomes in the region could significantly influence worker conditions. It's very important that unions in the region stand united to fight anti-worker policies of governments for the protection of our members' rights."

Union leaders also reported from their respective countries, revealing severe employment conditions. For instance, in India 40 per cent of manufacturing workers are contract workers most don't benefit from paid leave and social security. The introduction of the Code on Occupational Health, Safety, and Working Conditions 2021 in India has allowed for indefinite fixed-term contracts, which has exacerbated job insecurity.

In Indonesia, affiliates have successfully negotiated a zero-tolerance policy on gender-based violence and harassment across 82 companies.

Khaing Zar from Myanmar detailed the ongoing military repression in the country, severely impacting young workers' livelihoods. Similarly, Bangladesh witnessed brutal suppression of minimum wage protests last year, resulting in casualties and unjust charges against trade unionists.

Young trade unionists urged for the strengthening of inclusive union processes. IndustriALL's secretariat reported on regional activities and major trade union actions, assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan reported on global actions including discussions at the ILO Governing Body meeting and a human rights directive adopted by the European Parliament.

"We need to prepare our organization for future challenges. It's crucial that we effectively strategize to fight for workers' rights and trade union rights in the face of the current perilous situation. The Asia Pacific is a very important region and therefore the inputs from leaders in the region are extremely valuable,"

said Özkan.

The Asia Pacific women's committee, meeting on 15 April, engaged in a comprehensive dialogue on IndustriALL's policy on gender-based violence and harassment, sexism, and misogyny. Discussions included the implementation of this policy, plans for participatory gender audits, and training initiatives for affiliates.

Significant advancements were shared during the meeting; for example, the Philippines ratified the ILO Convention 190 after a protracted union campaign. In Japan, workshops are being organized to address conscious and unconscious gender biases, while leaders from Australia highlighted the Fair Work Act's considerations for gender equality. South Asian women leaders underlined the importance of addressing gender-based violence and harassment within the region.