Regional Trade Union Program Asia-Pacific

Social justice is a central pillar of social democracy, which the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung stands for. Trade unions are key actors in promoting democracy and social justice. Promoting social dialogue and labour relations based on social partnership which then promote the role of trade unions, is one of the core tasks of our international activities in our approximately 100 projects world-wide. These activities are carried out in close cooperation with the German Trade Union Confederation DGB and its affiliates all over the world. Also in Asia, cooperation with trade unions belongs to our genuine work and involves us on the national, regional and global levels.

The trade union landscape varies greatly in the Asia-Pacific region. Strong organizations exist in Japan, Singapore, and Australia and to a lesser degree in Malaysia and Korea. In many countries, restrictive labour legislation and repressive governments prevent the development of strong and independent workers´ representation. And then there are countries where the union leadership itself is to blame for the weakness of the workers movements. In South Asia, in particular, unions are linked to political parties and divided along religious and ethnic lines. Women are rarely present in top-level positions in these organizations, and the same holds true for young workers. Even the informal sector, which makes up 90 per cent of the working-age population in India, is not really represented by the established trade unions. Vietnam and China are in a special situation: the existing trade unions are still closely aligned with the communist parties and have not yet found their role as a lobby group in a market economy.

However, in view of a weak civil-society sector trade unions are one of the few groups in society with nation-wide structures which can be mobilized in most of these countries. Given the dynamic development of the economy in the manufacturing and service sectors in Asia and simultaneous deregulation and informalisation of work, social partners, i.e. trade unions, employers-organisations and State institutions, play an important part in the dialogue on societal policy within Asia. Therefore, the FES pursues the aim of promoting trade unions both as a lobby for working people and as a strong democratic force in society through its activities in Asia and the Pacific. It also endorses the recognition of trade union rights as part of universal human rights in regional integration platforms like Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This definitely includes a critical and constructive dialogue with those governments in Asia for whom community development takes precedence over individual rights, at least for certain phases of development in their country’s struggle against poverty. The empowerment of women in trade unions continues to be a focal point of work, given the persistent discrimination against them in the workplace. It also helps to break up rigid internal union structures. The same holds true for the necessity of bringing young workers into the trade unions, a move that would meet with strong cultural barriers particularly in Asia.

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