United for a DOMWORK Convention

Government, trade unions, employers groups, NGOs and migrant advocacy groups coming from the Philippines are unanimous in its support for the adoption of an International Labor Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.

This developed as representatives from the Technical Working Group (TWG) on the Philippine Campaign on Decent Work for Domestic Workers composed of the Federation of Free Workers, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Visayan Forum Foundation, SUMAPI, and Migrant Forum in Asia met in separate occasions with Undersecretary Lourdes Trasmonte and Undersecretary Rosalinda Baldoz of the Department of Labor and Employment in preparation for the ILO Conference in Geneva.

USEC Trasmonte was nominated as the Chairperson of the Committee on Decent Work for Domestic Workers during the International Labor Conference which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from June 2 to 18, 2010.  USEC Baldoz will serve as the head of the Philippine delegation and will work with Assistant Secretary Rebbeca Calzado as representatives of the Philippine government during deliberations on domestic work (click here for news report of DOLE position to the ILO Convention and the Magna Carta for Household Helpers).

DOLE has already reconsidered the initial decision to support only a Convention and is now committed to support a binding Convention supplemented by a Recommendation (click here to view or download a copy of the initial reply of Government).

Both DOLE officials committed to work with other TWG members who will attend the Geneva conference, which includes FFW President Alan Montano and TUCP's Flor Cabatingan, to ensure that the best interests of domestic workers are protected.  Trade unions under the leadership of TUCP, FFW, and APL, domestic workers groups led by SUMAPI, and NGOs led by the Visayan Forum Foundation, with support from the International Labor Organization and Global Network-Aisa, have already developed a consolidated position on the form and content of the proposed international instrument (click here to download a copy of the consolidated workers position).

Meanwhile, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has earlier communicated to the ILO and the TWG their support for a International Convention supplemented by a Recommendation (click here to download a copy of ECOP's position). 

The Philippines is one of the very few countries in the world that will present a unified stance on the most important issues during the ILC.  Because of this, the country is expected to be at the forefront of negotiations as champions for domestic workers worldwide.