Filipino workers who are set to hold a dialogue with the International Labor Organization for the High-Level Tripartite Mission (ILO-HITM) earned the support of the national alliance of women Gabriela.
The women’s group on Monday morning, Jan. 23 trooped to Makati City in time for the opening of the high-level tripartite mission in the Philippines. With one voice, members of Gabriela, together with other progressive groups in the country, urged the international labor organization to uphold the rights of working women.
“Our hearts go out to the valiant women workers who will be sharing their stories of violence and repression through the years, in reaction to their initiatives and campaigns for dignified work,” said Gabriela Secretary-General Clarice Palce.
According to Palce, the group is looking forward to receive “positive recommendations” from the ILO in terms of the alleged labor rights violations in the Philippines. To further support this, Gabriela disclosed that their organization alone has received over hundred reports of state and employer violations of women workers’ “right to organize and freedom to associate.”
In a separate statement, the group stressed that despite the hardships, several Filipino workers still led and helped organize initiatives to help improve the working conditions of fellow workers in the country.