Decent Work: Making It Your Own! Social Marketing Training

          The International Labour Organization and the Department of Labour conducted Decent WorkTraining of Trainers on Social Marketing at Kimberly Hotel, Tagaytay City on  Nov. 3-5, 2010. The participants were coming in tripartite :  1)government, 2) workers, and 3) employers.   Asec. Tetey Soriano of the Department of Labor, in her closing remarks, exporessed high hopes for Decent Work to be owned by the workers, employers and government in its respective roles in the economy.         
       
          The toolkit for the Trainers attempts to put a framework, approach and easy-to-use tools for Decent Work Advocacy . 

          "Decent work is an expression of a universal aspiration of people towards productive work under the conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.  It reflects personal goals for individuals, development goals for countries and solidarity with others". ....  ILC 2002 documents 
          The informal sector leaders in the Philippines, believe, that addressing decent work deficits in the informal economy is a way out of poverty.

          Susanita "Babes" Tesiorna, in her time as the  Sectoral Representative for the Workers in the Informal Sector-National Anti-Poverty Commission succeeded in the advocacy for the members of the 2005 Sectoral Assembly of the NAPC-Workers in the Informal Sector Assembly to adopt the Sectoral Agenda :  Addresing Decent Work Deficits in the Informal Economy".  The last council, Sectoral Assembly 2010, sustained the said agenda.
                                                                          



ILO Training Center in Turin, Italy hosted the "Social and Solidarity Economy Academy" Course

         The CIRIEC International conducted 5-days course No. A903002-Turin at the International Training Center of the International Labour Organization in Turin, Italy on Oct. 25-29, 2010. The course was about the "Social and Solidarity Economy Academy". 

        
 The Social and Solidarity Economy  (SSE) refers to organizations that are based on principles of solidarity and participation and that produce goods and services while pursuing both economic and social aims.

          Susanita "Babes" G.  Tesiorna, President of the Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALLWIES) is the only participant from the Philippines.

       
       The term "social economy" is often presented as having been used for the first time in the late 19th century to describe the voluntary and self-help organizations established by workers to face the consequences of the extension of industrial capitalism.

        These organizations share the goal of gathering autonomous organizations that aim to take place service to their members or the community ahead of profit and that incorporate democratic decision-making processes despite some differences  in terms of benefit distribution.  In some parts of the world (Belgium, France, Quebec and Spain) social economy benefits from political and economic recognition among ministries and administration and supporting policies.  

The Informal Economy and the SSE:
         The informal economy is a fact of life that cannot be ignored in any economy.  In some African countries, the informal economy generates incomes and "jobs" for more than 80% of the urban population.  How does the informal economy stand in relation to the social economy?

        The ILO defines the informal economy as a set of activities carried out by the workers and economic units who or which are not covered, or are inadequately covered, by formal arrangements. Their activities are not covered by legislation, which means that laws are not applied or that laws discourage compliance because they are inadequate or involve ponderous or excessive costs.

       Susanita Tesiorna is the co-presenter of two of the workshop groups, Asia. Kalpana Karunakaran, from India, is the co-presenter.

 

    

ILO-KOSHA conducted training workshop in Korea to improve working and emplloyment conditions of the small enterprises and informal economy

       Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2010, Seoul, Korea :  The International Labour Organization Training Center (ITC) and the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) conducted  the :Training on Participatory Approaches To Improve Working And Employment Conditions on Small Enterprises and Informal Economy in Seoul, Republic of Korea on Sept. 26-Oct. 1, 2010.

        Participants from each country were in tripartite delegation (one from government, one from workers and one from employers).  From the Philippines, tripartite delegates were :  1) Government :  Dr. Mimi Santos of the Bureau of Working Conditions-DOLE, 2) Employers, Atty. Rene Tale of Manila Water and 2) Workers, Susanita Tesiorna of ALLWIE/S-TUCP.

        The resource speakers were from the ILO Training Center, KOSHA, ILO Specialists and from the academe of which topics were centered on participatory approaches on the improvement of working conditions for construction workers, farmers and homeworkers.




From left:  Dr. Mimi Santos, Susanita Tesiorna and
Atty.Rene Tale

 

Consultation on Exclusive Breastfeeding conducted in Zamboanga City

The participants :  Barangay Health Workers,
Barangay Nutrition Scholars and Vendors

Sept. 23, 2010, Lantaka Hotel, Zamboanga City

     Thirty eight (38) workers from the informal sector and two (2) from the formal labor were consulted on "Developing Intervention on Exclusive Breasfeeding in the Informal Sector" in Zamboanga City. The informal sector were representatives of organizations of barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, tri-wheels and vendors, all based in Zamboanga City. It was a very promising activity which proved that there is really the need to put up lactation stations in informal workplaces like transportation terminals, public markets and even in health centers . 

From the transport group mobilized by CM Bong Amarille
who is also the Vice-President for Mindanao of ALLWIE/S.

    

     This event is under the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the Government of the Philippines implementation of the Joint Program on "Ensuring Food Security and Nutrition for Children 0-24 months with support from the Spanish Government through the MDG Achievement Fund. Under this Programme, the International Labour Organization (ILO) a specialized UN agency aims to strengthen government mechanisms to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the workplace, and develop models of EBF intervention in the informal workplaces in three cities :  Iloilo, Zamboanga and Naga.



Susanita "Babes" Tesiorna, President of ALLWIE/Sexplained the
magnitude of the informal sector,the mandate of NAPC, the national
situationer of the mothers breastfeeding including the myths, the advantages
of mother's milk,  and  emphasized the need to support the mothers
breastfeeding especially from 0-6 months of her baby. 





     The members of the Sub-Technical Working Group on EBF are : International Labour Organization, Department of Labor, National Anti-Poverty Commission-Workers in the Informal Sector, Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALLWIES), Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Federation of Free Workers, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), and UNICEF.







Flash back: ALLWIE/S participated in the Region 4-A "2nd Tripartite Industrial Peace Council Conference"



ALLWIE/S President, Susanita "Babes" G. Tesiorna

          The respective offices of  Regiona 4-NEDA and DOLE Region 4-A successfully facilitated the "2nd Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Council Conference" participated by tripartite constitutents and other government agencies, stakeholders of creating more jobs in the country.

          While the focus was on green jobs, the conference also launched DOLE programs on livelihood for the informal sector such as the "Kabuhayan Starter Kit" and the "Nego-Kart".

    

      

          Although both programs for the infoprmal sector were launched in Region 4-A, it was clarified that the implementation covers the whole country. 

Susanita Tesiorna as advocate for the protection and development of Barangay Health Workers

         

          The Department of Health conducted the "National Barangay Health Workers Reinvention Summit " on Oct. 7-9, 2009, the days when typhoon Pepeng devastated nortern Luzon. It was hosted by the provincial government of Vigan, Ilocos Norte.  Although, the whole nation were worried of the plight of the affected areas of Pepeng, the summit was very promising in terms of national health reforms with the strong voice of the regional officers of BHW, members of National Confederation of Barangay Health Workers, the support of the employees of the Department of Health and the provincial government.

          Susanita Tesiorna, joined the summit as resource speaker on the labor rights of the barangay health workers under RA 7883, the "Barangay Health Workers' Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995".  She also presented other opportunities like enterprise development for income augmentation and Sec. 23 (p) of the RA 7875 or the National Health Insurance Act of 1995.  She also presented the issues that came out with her research in three cities like  Tagbilaran City, Surigao City and the National Capital Region. Proposals drafted by the Committee on Social Protection of the NAPC-Workers in the Informal Sector Council, chaired by Susanita Tesiorna, were presented as inputs to the discussions and resolutions adopted during This Summit.  



After the BHW Summit, Susanita Tesiorna joined a pose with Bohol BHW delegation at the Baluarte and NAPC-Council Member Salve Gaytano who is the Vice-President of the BHW Confederation



          She inspired the Barangay Health Workers by pronouncing that the NAPC-Workers in the Informal Sector Council salutes the dedication and heroic acts of the BHW inspite of the meager incentives received from the respective LGU's.  She further encouraged them to strengthen the Confederation and one of those action must prioritize paying membership dues.

            At the end of the Summit, a Resoultion was adopted addressed to the national government, legislators and local governments through DOH Secretary Francisco Duque.



A pose with the delegation from Region XII

ALLWIES, Building on the Gains of the Informal Sector Coalition of the Phils (ISP_TUCP) on child labour elimination.....



Susanita "Babes" G.  Tesiorna is seated 7th from the right.

 ALLWIE/S BUILDING ON THE GAINS OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR COALITION OF THE PHILS (ISP - TUCP) ON THE ELIMINATION OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR

          In behalf of the workers, Susanita "Babes" G.  Tesiorna, the President of the Informal Sector Coalition of the Philippines (ISP-TUCP)  welcomed the tripartite delegates to the Asia Region Tripartite Consultation on Guidelines for the Preparation of National Child Labour Policies and Action Plans and on Mainstreaming Child Labour Concerns in Broader Policy Frameworks on Nov. 23-25, 2010, Bangkok, Thailand.

          During the two-day workshop, Ms. Tesiorna insisted to go beyond the tripartite constituents to address MDG Goal of "no worst foms of child labour by 2016 by involving the community groups or associations. She pointed that no single institution, organization or indvidual can do it all alone, not even the tripatrite constituents alone.  She cited the example of the KALAHI convergence strategy of the Phil. Government where she has been effectively engaged since 1999 in addressing poverty. This idea was supported by fellow Philippine delegates such as Ms. Rhodora Buenaventura of the Employers' Confederation of the Phils. and Ms. Maribeth Casin of the Department of Labour.

         Upon return to the Philippines, with the workshop objective to mainstream issues of child labour in the national policies and plans, Ms. Tesiorna advocated to the NAPC-Workers in the Informal Sector Council of 2010-2013 for integration into the Sectoral Agenda. It was approved by the Council in June, 2010.

         The following is the text of welcome message in behalf of the workers:         

TUCP Statement to the Asia Region Tripartite Consultation on Draft Guides for the Preparation of National Child Labour Policies and Action Plans and on Mainstreaming Child Labour Concerns in Broader Policy Frameworks

23-25 November 2009, Bangkok, Thailand

Sis. Susanita Tesiorna
Informal Sector Coalition of the Philippines (ISP/TUCP)
On behalf of the Workers’ Delegates

On behalf of workers’ delegates from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and millions of children still suffered to work, we commend ILO for its continuing efforts to reach out and include trade unions and organizations of workers in this important work.

As we look at the issue of child labor worldwide and in the Region, it is a bad news/good news and numbers story.

The bad news is –
our journey for emancipation of child labor has been all too grueling.

Our good programs, our good/best practices, are stymied, partly thwarted, by crisis after crisis, by disasters after calamities.

The good news is –
Tripartite delegations in this consultation are from countries which have actual experience in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of child labor policies, projects and action plans.

It is particularly good news for other child labor-affected countries in the Region to know that the tripartite sectors, particularly the workers’ sector,
are again part of the process in developing, refining and rationalizing set of guidelines for mainstreaming national child labor policies and action plans.

This initiative would have been impossible five years ago. But countries in this Region have moved past embarrassment, past denial, of the existence of child labor to a consensus of determined action to stopping, eliminating and preventing child labor – particularly its worst forms.

We have come a long way.

In initiatives leading to our countries’ ratification of ILO Conventions 138 and 182, in the passage of national legislations, laws and regulations and the development of national policies and programs, trade unions, working families, coalition and networks have always been at the forefront of the movement
to eradicate worst forms of child labor.

Trade unions have fought the exploitation of children at all fronts — in plantations, factories, informal sector, domestic service, human trafficking.

We have taken this battle to collective bargaining, in tripartite/multipartite discussions.

Our engagement in this area has moved beyond mere advocacy for specific anti-child labor approaches and programs, beyond representation in anti-child labor bodies, beyond design and implementation of joint anti-child labor programs and services

to trade unions’ own programs including prevention, monitoring, alternative employment, livelihood, education and provision of other welfare services.

Despite these, yours and our successes put together, we are barely scratching the surface.

When the number of child laborers is equivalent to the entire population of one big country. And within it, the worst forms, roughly the population of two small countries combined,With more new and highly complicated forms of child exploitation developing everyday,And our gains barely meeting the 2016 targets Then you have 122 million and more reasons to be concerned about.

It is not a question of “who does it better” –the government, employers, workers, or other players –but what the tripartite sectors can do more together Who else needs to be involved? And how can we strengthen our resolve, deliver faster results With little time and shrinking resources.

With intervening global crisis and terrible calamities pushing back hard-fought gains – and decent work for all, for parents of child laborers more distant than ever.

We believe that in anti-child labor initiatives, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is intolerable.

We should stop dreaming or believing that dole-outs and unsustainable foreign- or donor-driven programs are the answer.

These are important, they mitigate hardships, even if mostly temporarily, they show the way to what can be done in child labor prevention and services, and are most welcome,but reducing poverty – of parents of child laborers and of their communities –will be the only lasting, sustainable solution.

Practical, more focused guidelines and activities that reflect, understand and consider local realities and environments of communities, and designed and carried out locally by parents and children themselves, with guidance and assistance from support groups and institutions – are the ones needed. We can’t tell you how important, timely and overdue this instrument is

We believe that eradicating child labor in our time is a daunting challenge.We have come here with the strong support of our members, our families,our partners, our communities. The challenge doesn’t look as daunting as before,when, together, with children and their parents,  the tripartite sectors explore how much more we could do and how much more we should be doing.

We – trade unions and people’s organizations – offer our expertise, actual experiences, accomplishments.

Our presence here today signifies our commitment –to guide, act, participate, contribute, and continue to take part, or even lead, in this movement. We will make our voices — and those of our child laborers – heard and heeded.

We promise an exciting meeting.