High level consultation between ASEM Labour Ministers and the Social Partners

An unprecedented tripartite
consultation between European and Asian social partners and Ministries
of Labour took place yesterday in Bali, Indonesia as part of the ASEM
Trade Union Summit, which brought together over 40 trade unionists from
Europe and Asia.

Brussels, 14 October 2008: an unprecedented tripartite
consultation between European and Asian social partners and Ministries
of Labour took place yesterday in Bali, Indonesia as part of the ASEM
Trade Union Summit, which brought together over 40 trade unionists from
Europe and Asia.

Labour Ministers from the Netherlands, India, Slovakia and Cyprus, as
well as vice ministers from China and Japan, took part in the
consultation. The EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs who
also attended strongly supported a process of dialogue with the social
partners in ASEM. The employers’ delegation joined the trade unions in
calling for regular and formal meetings with the social partners.

ASEM is an informal platform created 12 years ago by European and Asian
countries as a way to enhance dialogue and cooperation between the two
regions. Today the 27 EU and 10 ASEAN countries as well as China, India,
Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Pakistan are members.

During the consultation European and Asian workers’ and employers’
organisations presented their views on the topics to be discussed today
by the ASEM Labour Ministers, who are holding their second Ministerial
Meeting in Bali. A key demand of the trade unions is to obtain a formal
consultative status on the same basis as the Asia Europe Business Forum.

"We are delighted that after so many years, ASEM leaders have finally
decided to add employment and social issues to their agenda
," said Guy
Ryder, ITUC General Secretary. "Unions are convinced that through social
dialogue we have the capacity to change the direction of globalisation
and make it work for workers. ASEM Leaders need to listen to social
partners and take account of their views in dialogue and cooperation
activities."

During the consultation workers highlighted the decent work deficits in
several countries. Govindasamy Rajasekeran, the President of ITUC Asia -
Pacific noted the increase of work precariousness in Asia. "A growing
number of workers find themselves in very unstable employment
relationships. We call them either irregular, temporary, atypical or
contract workers, but the fact is that they all lack adequate social and
legal protection," he said.

Workers have also argued strongly for a rights-based and gender
sensitive approach to labour migration, an issue that the Ministers will
discuss today. "We reject the all security approach to migration and
call upon labour ministers and social partners to get further involved
in the management of migration flows", said Bianca Kuehl from the DGB,
Germany.

To read the full TU Statement, please click here


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and has 311 national affiliates.

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