AnAssociated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines/Building and Wood Workers International
(ALU-TUCP/BWI) presentation in the
2013 ABAN Meeting Dhaka, Bangladesh
Presented by:Alan Tanjusay, Policy Advocacy Officer
Overview of presentation
•Who is ALU-TUCP, BWI•Advocacy in asbestos: Ban asbestos
•Campaigns in 2012-2013 •Plans for 2014 campaign•Challenges & conclusion
Associated Labor Unions-Born in Cebu Cityport in April 1954-Membership in 17industries (land-based, seafarers) -Biggest labourfederation in Philippines, 200 staffs-With legal, medical, dental services-Critical but constructive inpromoting workers’ rights & wellbeing (wages, workers health & safetyetc.) in unilateral, bilateral, tri-partite-Responsible partner of TUCP,Nagkaisa (United), BWI, UNI, ITF,IndustriALL, -Works with ILO, WHO & others
ALU advocacy on asbestos
Began in 2004, seminars
and workshops with union membersworking in ACMsPartnership with BWI began in 2007Crafted ban asbestos
billin 2007Initiator of WHO-ILO template NPEAD inPhilippines, 2009
Campaign in 20131. Political mapping2. 6 NPEAD meetings3. Luncheon with media4. Seminar with Nagkaisa coalition (United)5. Workshop in Mariveles, Bataan eco zone6. April 28 IWMD with informal workers7. Investigation on non-
action on wire gauze in public schools
8. June 28 submit letter & press confere on findings
of query9. July– reach out Angeles
church with asbestos10. August 30 DepEd replies banning wire gauzes andreplacing them withceramic center11.September 2- re-filed ban bill in congress12.Nov. 14-15 AAI6 ManilaMeeting13. Message to ACIP: Begin
transition
http://www.rappler.com/nation/31593-asbestos-laden-wire-gauzes
Cancerous material still in most school labs – labor group
BY JEE Y. GERONIMO POSTED ON 06/18/2013 6:38 PM | UPDATED 06/18/2013 7:24 PM
CANCEROUS. ALU-TUCP advocacy officer Alan Tanjusay shows asbestos-laden wire gauzes found in some high schools in Metro Manila. Photo by Jee Geronimo/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Labor groups on Tuesday, June 18, revived talks with the Department of Education (DepEd) regarding the presence of cancer-causing wire gauze in most public and private school laboratories in the country.
Alan Tanjusay, Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) advocacy officer, said that just two weeks ago, they found asbestos wire gauzes in the laboratories of 8 schools in Metro Manila.
This is despite DepEd’s “positive response” to the same call by the labor federation in 2011.
In a letter addressed to Education Secretary Armin Luistro, ALU-TUCP president Michael Mendoza pointed out how the department continues to “unknowingly [put] to great risk the health of millions of students, teachers and non-teaching staffs...to highly cancerous asbestos dust fibers.”
Wire gauze is commonly used in chemistry and biology experiments.
Campaign plan for 2014a. Build human face of the
issue by organizing victim/s & families’ group
b. Host 2 meetings with Nagkaisa coalition, BWI affiliates, NGOs
c. Host 2 meetings with legislators and staffs
d. Host 4 NPEAD meetingse. Public info campaigns
-conventional & social media
f. Removal of asbestos in eco-zone in Bataan
Challenges & conclusion1. Heightening presence of asbestos lobby group
targeting, influencingGovernment executivesLegislatorsMedia
2. Inert government bureaucracyFunding prioritiesDiversity of tasks
3. Dwindling union power, membership due globalization, precarious working arrangements
Loosening power of unions thru membership
Thank you!
