SARTUC Executive board meeting

A meeting of the SARTUC executive board was held on 9 August, 2014 in New Delhi, India. A list of participants is enclosed. President Sanjeeva Reddy presided over the meeting.

Opening the meeting, the President mentioned about the important issues before the meeting and hoped there would for fruitful deliberations in the meeting.

SARTUC Executive board meeting

9 August, 2014

New Delhi, India

 

M I N U T E S

 

A meeting of the SARTUC executive board was held on 9 August, 2014 in New Delhi, India.  A list of participants is enclosed. President Sanjeeva Reddy presided over the meeting.

Opening the meeting, the President mentioned about the important issues before the meeting and hoped there would for fruitful deliberations in the meeting.

  1. Opening

Laxman Basnet (SARTUC) began the opening session of the meeting with an introduction and welcoming of the delegates, including Sanjeeva Reddy (SARTUC and ITUC-AP) and Noriyuki Suzuki (ITUC-AP).

In his presidential address, Sanjeeva Reddy  highlighted the worldwide assault on the trade union movement by a combined front of the government and employers and reiterated the urgent need for trade unions to strengthen inter-TU cooperation and establish a united front. To reemphacise his point, he gave the example of in India where he took initiative for bringing all national trade centres in to united forum.

In his address,, Noriyuki Suzuki stressed on the need to further strengthen SARTUC in order to improve the socio-economic situation of workers in the South Asia region and reiterated his commitment to support SARTUC and its affiliates, particularly in  organizing the large number of informal workers in the region.

  1. General Secretary’s Report

During this session, Laxman Basnet outlined the past activities of SARTUC. He listed the various activities SARTUC undertook during the last one year such as (1) ITUC-AP/SARTUC Conference on South Asian Regional Meet on Sustainable Labor Market through Decent Work in South Asia (I) as well as SARTUC Meeting  (15-17 Dec. 2012) in Colombo, Sri Lanka (2) ITUC-AP/SARTUC Conference on South Asian Regional Meet on Sustainable Labor Market through Decent Work in  South Asia (II) as well as SARTUC Convention (1-2 April, 2013) in Kathmandu, Nepal (3) ILO/SARTUC Workshop on Promoting Trade Union Cooperation on Labour Migration in Origin and Destination Countries, 16-19 September 2013, Kathmandu, Nepal (4) SARTUC/ILO/ ITUC-AP Focal Persons Workshop and Leaders Meeting on ‘Coordination of Action in Regard to the Protection of Migrant Workers’ 20-21 December 2013 Kathmandu, Nepal (5) SARTUC/ILO Stakeholder Interaction Program on Protecting Migrant Workers’ Rights 14- 15 July, 2014, Kathmandu, Nepal (6) Consultation to Promote Sub-Regional Collaboration on Combating Trafficking in Persons  in Maldives on 30 -31March 2014. He highlighted some of the major outcomes of these activities which include, among others, (i) Identification of areas for concrete TU action at the national as well as the regional level; (ii) Development of an Action Plan with regards to the involvement of TUs to address concerns of migrant workers; (iii) Strengthened coordination and cooperation between TUs of South Asia and those of migrant desitination  countries (especially the Middle East); (iv) Steps taken for the recognition of SARTUC as a SAARC Apex Body; (v) Devised the way forward with regards to the involvement of TUs to address concerns of informal economy workers; and (vi) Promotion of Sub-Regional Collaboration on Combating Trafficking in Persons.

 

Following this, Laxman Basnet gave a brief presentation on the outcome of the preceding Workshop on the Formalization of Informal Workers which had developed a document charting the way forward for future TU action in terms of (i) Preparations for 2015 ILC standards setting discussions; (ii) Government Policies; (iii) Trade Union Policies; (iv) Concrete Trade Union Activities at the National and the Sub-Regional (SAARC) Level; and (v) SARTUC Related Policies and Actions. Following the presentation, the delegates voted unanimously to adopt the document in full (See Annex A) as the official path forward for SARTUC in addressing the concerns of the informal economy.

  1. Trade Union Situation and Report on Activities

During this session, representatives from each participating country gave a brief presentation on the trade union situation in their respective countries and activities pertaining to SARTUC.

Bishnu Rimal (President, GEFONT and SARTUC-Nepal) gave a brief update on the application process with regards to SAARC Apex Body status for SARTUC. Following this, the speaker elaborated on the national-level tripartite meeting in Nepal which was held to forge a path forward vis-à-vis trade union activity to address concerns of migrant workers.

Zahoor Awan (General Secretary, PWF, Pakistan) of Pakistan noted that trade unions in Pakistan were being suppressed by a combined front of employers and the government. He highlighted the fact that a vast majority of workers in the government sector as well as the private sector remained unorganized and there was a long way to go for trade unions to organize them. Finally, he reiterated the commitment of Pakistan Workers’ Federation to support the activities of SARTUC.

In a similar note, Mauroof Zakir (General Secretary, TEAM, Maldives), who participated in the meeting as an observer,  highlighted the unfriendly posture of Maldivian government towards trade unions and the working population in general. He also mentioned that even though numerous ILO Conventions had been ratified by the Maldives government, there were no national/local legislations in accordance with those conventions which meant non-implementation of ratified conventions. For instance, trade unions have the right to organize but do not have the right to collective bargaining. He stressed on the need for the government to introduce the propsed newlabour law and to establish a dedicated ministry to address labour issues.

Maroof Akamula (President, International Relation Department, NUAWE, Afghanistan) noted that since Afghanistan was only barely coming out of a prolonged period of violence and conflict, democracy and workers’ organizations were only at the budding stage. He mentioned that trade unions were still attempting to gain recognition from the concerned authorities. Furthermore, due to the high rate of unemployment in the country, attempts at organizing were being met with swift retaliation.

Thampan Thomas (Vice –President, HMS, India) noted that Indian government policies were generally reflected throughout the South Asia region given its economic, geographic, and demographic size. In this context, he noted that it was unfortunate for the newly elected Indian government to have taken a position that was not in favor of the trade union movement. He questioned the government’s obsession with GDP growth without proper consideration for who was actually benefitting from this growth. Furthermore, he highlighted the fact that current government policies, instead of formalizing workers, was in fact leading to the informalization and marginalization of workers who were previously in the formal economy.    

  1. Progress Report on Recognition of SARTUC as a SAARC Apex Body

 Laxman Basnet informed the delegates that SARTUC had already begun the formal process of recognition. He noted that the SAARC Secretariat had asked SARTUC to forward the application letter for Apex Body status via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal and that the SARTUC Secretariat was following up on this request. Similarly, he also informed the delegates that SARTUC is engaging the Government of Nepal to incorporate the issue of migrant labour in the SAARC Declaration. He reiterated his appeal to the affiliates to officially register SARTUC Country Chapters with the concerned government agency in their respective countries.  He reminded the members that recognition by SAARC  will  entirely dependent on  the speed with which we complete the process at the country level.

  1. SAARC Summit

Delegates agreed that position papers on four thematic areas – namely (i) Labour Migration; (ii) Minimum wage and Benefits; (iii) Gender; and (iv) Social Security – for each member country would be developed prior to the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu. The meeting authorised the SARTUC Secretarit to prepare the papers well in time. Furthermore, it was also agreed that each of the national chapters would host simultaneous rallies in their respective countries before the SAARC summit.

  1. Finances

During this session, delegates discussed SARTUC affiliation dues and agreed to open a bank account for every national chapter.

  1. Future Activities – Plan of Action and Way Forward

 The General Secretary informed the delegates that SARTUC was in the process of signing a 1-year agreement with ILO and a 4-year agreement with LO/FTF for the implementation of the SARTUC Migrant Labour Charter and the Kathmandu Plan of Action. Furthermore, he requested each country to nominate one representative to act as the “focal person” in order to streamline communications between SARTUC Country Chapters and the SARTUC Secretariat.

Closing Session of the Workshop

 

Laxman Basnet thanked all the delegates for their participation and declared the meeting adjourned.

 

Annex A

 

Preparations for ILC 2015

  • Internal TU meeting to discuss issues of the informal economy and the proposed ILO Recommendation
  • National level inter-TU and tripartite meetings to discuss issues of the informal economy and the proposed ILO Recommendation
  • TU discussion with stakeholders doing relevant work on the informal economy
  • SARTUC sub-regional meeting in  to discuss issues of the informal economy and the proposed ILO Recommendation on informal economy workers
  • Develop a common national TU position paper followed by a regional SAARC level position paper on the proposed ILO Recommendation
    1. Conduct research and statistical data collection on informal economy workers
  • Discussions on the ratification of ILO Conventions, especially the Core Labor Standards
  • At the ILC, discuss and highlight issues of informal economy workers
  • Discussions on strengthening international instruments to make it more conducive to organize informal economy workers
  • Ensure proper representation of informal workers at the ILC
  • Formulate through an ILO Convention the formalization of informal workers

 

Government Policy

  • Reformation, revision, and implementation of relevant national and local legislation and policies to grant informal economy workers the same rights and benefits as formal economy workers
    1. Ensure informal economy workers have access to all social security mechanisms and minimum wages/benefits
    2. Provide informal economy workers with access to legal mechanisms
  • Establish a SAARC level labor commission
  • Ensure proper representation of TUs and informal economy workers in policy making with regards to the informal economy
  • Ratification of ILO Core Labor Standards
  • Ratification and implementation of international labor standards related to informal economy workers
  • Identification and documentation of informal workers
  • Awareness raising and empowerment of informal economy workers
  • Provide skills development and vocational training to informal workers
  • Combat gender, racial, ethnic, caste and all other forms of discrimination in the informal economy
  • Extend coverage of labor inspection to all workers and workplaces in the informal economy

 

Trade Union Policy

  • Assist informal workers with various work-related issues
    1. Social security
    2. Minimum wages and benefits
    3. Occupation Health and Safety
    4. Work and working conditions
    5. Gender discrimination and other forms of discrimination
  • Conduct educational and awareness raising programs for both TU members and informal economy workers on the issues of the informal economy
  • Conduct welfare activities targeting informal economy workers (ex: health camp, Worker Welfare Fund, and so forth)
  • Establish financial co-operatives and mutual-assistance groups
  • Reform TU constitution and structures to make it conductive to the recruitment of informal workers
  • Ensure proper representation of informal workers in internal committees of TUs
  • Ensure discounted membership fee for informal economy workers
  • Formulate a TU organizing policy for the informal economy
  • Pressurize the government for the ratification of relevant ILO conventions
  • Ensure the right of informal economy workers to establish or join organization of their own choosing and participate in its activities
  • To establish an academic training center to train informal economy organizers
  • Establish an informal workers' department in each national TU center

 

Concrete Trade Union Action

  • Membership drives to organize informal economy workers
    1. Special recruitment drives to organize women and youth
  • Organize TU workshop and seminars at the national and regional level to educate TU officials and to share best practices
    1. Conduct study circles /common meeting among TUs to discuss issues of the informal economy
  • Strengthen  national and international TU solidarity on issues related  to informal economy workers
  • Campaign and lobby the government to formalize informal economy workers and to protect their interests including specially targeted programs for EPZs
  • Lobby the government for the ratification of ILO Core Labor Standards in order to effectively organize informal economy workers
  • Campaign and lobby the government to ensure the coverage of informal economy workers under social security mechanisms
  • Capacity building of informal economy workers through awareness raising and sensitization campaigns including specially targeted program for informal economy work at EPZs 

 

SARTUC Related Policies and Actions         

  • Establish a SARTUC office in each member country with a full-time office bearer
  1. Proposed SARTUC office to conduct research, disseminate information, and organize programs/activities related to informal economy workers
  • One-day campaign in each of the eight member countries on the same day to disseminate and share information regarding the need and relevance of SARTUC
  • Engage the media during SARTUC programs
  • Start national action and pressurize governments of individual countries from September onwards with regards to the of recognition of SARTUC by SAARC
  • Rally/march in all SAARC countries a day before the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu to strengthen case for recognition
  1. Utilize social media to disseminate information regarding the rally
  2. Use same posters and logos in all countries
  3. Submit a SARTUC demand-letter to the government
  • Establish SARTUC women and youth committees
  • Establish a SARTUC committee for informal economy workers and migrants workers 
  • Hold regular seminars, workshops, and campaigns to educate/inform stakeholders on issues pertaining to the informal economy
  • Strengthen coordination among government bodies and other stakeholders to address challenges facing the informal economy