Tulfo represents ASPAG before Int’l Labour Conference in Geneva
SENATOR Raffy Tulfo represented the Asia Pacific Group (ASPAG) during the 111th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16.
Tulfo, who is “honored” to deliver a statement on behalf of ASPAG, relayed the group’s support for the Resolution and Conclusions of the Recurrent Discussion Committee on Labour Protection.
He noted that ASPAG appreciates the efforts of other governments and groups to discuss the challenges and opportunities in promoting labor protection.
For one, Tulfo said ASPAG supports the appropriate classification of workers and the need to address the persistent “lack of protection” from the discrimination people face in specific occupations, sectors, and work arrangements.
“ASPAG believes that the core of decent work is inclusive, adequate, and effective labor protection. Inclusive labor protection takes into consideration the diversity of the world of work, the various forms of contractual arrangements, and the challenges and opportunities relating to the digital transformation of work such as teleworking or platform work, and other forms of informal work,” Tulfo noted.
Tulfo discussed that the Asia-Pacific region is home to over 4.6 billion people, or more or less 60% of the world’s population, and more than 60% of the global labor force comes from ASPAG.
However, it has the highest levels of wealth inequality in the world, high levels of income inequality, and inequality of opportunities.
Tulfo likewise said that ASPAG believes that bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation between and among countries of origin, transit, and destination can guarantee migrant workers’ rights, wage protection, access to relevant labor protection information, access to justice, and access to dispute settlement, among others.
“Our region also deploys 40 percent of the world’s migrant workers. The protection of these workers, especially those in vulnerable situations such as domestic workers, is crucial to us,” he stated.
It can be noted that International Labour Organization (ILO) accepted Tulfo’s proposed amendment to include migrant workers’ right to have “access to relevant labor protection informations” in the Conclusions of the Committee on Labour Protection.
Moreover, Tulfo said ASPAG supports the development of policies and regulations that help promote Occupational, Safety and Health (OSH) strategies for zero work-related deaths and severe work-related injuries or illnesses, including access to relevant social security benefits.
Ultimately, Tulfo said ASPAG expressed its support for the formation of the Global Coalition for Social Justice through decent work because it holds promise for the region. “As we have often said, as a region, we contribute much to the global wealth; we deserve a fair share from it.”
