ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific

The Role of Trade Unions in

Promoting Gender Equality and

Women’s Empowerment in the Workplace

Presentation by: Anna Lee Fos-Tuvera ITUC-Asia Pacific, Singapore

Email: tuvera_anna@ituc-ap.org

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 2

Remember these painfully familiar scenarios…

"Are you planning to have children any time soon?"

"I’m the one who takes care of things, sets up meetings and gets stuck organizing the office b-day shindig"

"Oh, you'll never want to come back!"

“A real man doesn’t need to leave a job for family reasons”

“You know how good you look [to everyone], right?”

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 3

1. Bargaining for empowerment

23+ million members, 59 affiliates, 34 countries • Women constitute 38% of the total membership • Constitute 30%-90% of membership in more than half of affiliates

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific

Enterprise-level committees against SH (Philippines)

Page 4

Collective bargaining wins big…

Targeted assistance packages for working and single parents (Israel)

Equal remuneration, family care/eldercare leaves (Singapore)

Violence-free record of union leaders/leaders (Turkey)

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 5

2. Tripartite engagement and more…

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific

Research commissioned by the ITUC demonstrates the impact on gender equality and jobs growth of investing in the care economy.

Page 6

3. Public investment in #CareJobs

It would boost employment,

earnings, economic growth

It would foster gender equality

It would be more effective in

reducing public deficits and debt

than austerity polices

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 7

…it would boost employment for both

2% GDP investment in social infrastructure (provision of childcare and elder care services)

Employment rate of women would increase

3.3 – 8.2 % points

Employment rate of men would increase

1.4 – 4.0 % points

Overall gender gap in employment

would be reduced 1.6 – 4.2 % points

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific

14% of all CBAs in Australia included maternity leave provisions (2010)

Page 8

A few good examples…

Designated “birth and parenting period” have been extended to fathers; nursing hours are now granted to both genders (Israel)

Union women are leading the struggle for a minimum living wage in Cambodia

Active campaigns for #DecentWorkforDomesticWorkers

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 9

4. Building violence-free workplaces & communities

Domestic Violence at Work Network

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 10

AP unions are preparing well in advance…

• Help! Late for work, absent from work, bothered at work!

• GBV programs needed • Victims of domestic violence are entitled to 10

days domestic violence leave with pay, but…

First Asian Pilot Survey on Domestic Violence and Its Impact on Workers and Workplaces in the Philippines (2015)

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 11

Beyond the ILO process...

Standard clauses for DV paid leaves in 1300 enterprise agreements benefiting over 1 million workers (Australia)

Affiliates signed MOUs with employers on joint workplace prevention and assistance for workers affected by domestic violence (Israel, the Philippines)

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 12

5. Unions walking the gender equality talk

1) at least 30% of women in affiliates’ decision making bodies by 2018 2) ITUC Constitution now requires a minimum 40 percent representation of women in its own decision-making bodies

Women represent 48% in ITUC-AP Regional General Council (37% in the titular position)

ITUC-Asia Pacific International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific Page 13

Unions can do even better, faster, stronger!

When we are working together, we deliver more, bigger results and speed up progress.

Continue to engage us, aside from others. We are direct representatives of workers.