Asia Pacific

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Regional education projects often have sub regional and national components for which activities are carried out. These projects can either be industry specific or cross sectional. The ITF currently has the following projects in Asia Pacific, please click on the links below to go the desired project.



*Please note website links for the cooperating organisations can be found at the bottom of this page.

  

Industrial Projects

Developing Union organising strategies to deal with the restructuring of the aviation industry in South & South East Asia


This programme consists of a series of three sub regional seminars, the first during 2008 for aviation affiliates in South Asia, the second in 2009 for the affiliates in South East Asia and the last one in 2010 will include selected participants from the previous two activities in addition to participants from aviation unions in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Australia.

The main objective of these activities will be to analyse the aviation restructuring in the region, its impact on labour and unions, and trade union responses and strategies. The seminars will specifically aim to evolve new organizing strategies for the aviation workers in regular and low cost airlines and the growing number of casual, contract workers in employment & focused initiatives to forge cross sectoral working solidarity with other transport unions.


Participating countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines and Singapore.
Cooperating Organisation: FES
Project Period: 2008-2010
 

Organising Fishery Workers in South & South East Asia

The ITF will organise a series of three workshops, the first during 2008 for union participants from Japan, Korea and Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand/Burma.  The second workshop during 2009 will be organised for the South Asia sub region and comprise of representatives of fishers’ unions, cooperatives and associations in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The final workshop in 2010 will be held for a combined group from South and South East Asian fishers’ unions and representatives and selected participants from the Far East unions.

Expected outcome of the project activities is to:



Participating countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand/Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines and Singapore.
Cooperating Organisation: FES
Project Period: 2008-2010
  

Railway restructuring in South & South East Asia

The ITF proposes to organise a series of three seminars to help prepare unions in South & South East Asia to influence the process of railway restructuring. The first seminar during 2008 for railway unions in South Asia, the second seminar during 2009 for the railway unions in South East Asia and the final seminar in 2010 for a combined group from South & South East Asian railway unions and railway unions from the far East & Pacific.

The main objective of these activities will be to analyse the railway restructuring in the region, its impact on labour and unions, and trade union responses and strategies. The seminars will specifically aim to evolve new organizing strategies for the casual, contract workers in railway employment & focused initiatives to forge cross-sectoral working solidarity with other transport unions in response to the growth of the logistics industry and in relation to the key hubs and corridors for freight transport.

Participating countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.
Cooperating Organisation: FES
Project Period: 2008-2010

 

 Railway Safety project, India

The railways in India are government owned and the All India Railway men’s Federation (AIRF) and National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) are the two most representative organisations of railway employees representing some 1.4 million rail workers.

Generally speaking safety issues have not been much of a priority on union agenda although they serve a very big network spanning over 65,000 kms. of rail tracks. The aim of this project is to raise awareness of the importance of safety to railway workers and leaders at all levels of the two federations.  The project has the following aims:



The project activities over the years have included training of Safety trainers and conduct of education programmes for union activists and grass root members at the zonal and divisional levels of unions. An end-of-project Evaluation Seminar is due to be held in January 2009.

Target Groups: Office bearers at all unions levels, safety representatives and members working in safety categories in railway workshops and open line operations, trained educators with previous experience of working on safety issues, women activists and rank-and-file workers (members and non members) 
Cooperating organisation: SASK
Project Period: 2005-2008
 

Cross-sectional projects

HIV/AIDS and transport workers: South Asia

This project is primarily concerned with focusing on HIV/AIDS as a trade union and workplace issue. Project activities include awareness raising seminars and working towards the elimination of stigma and discrimination in the workplace. In addition emphasis will also be placed on developing workplace policies and linking with relevant stakeholders to in order to provide care, treatment and support for transport workers and their families.

The project aims to train peer educators from different transport sectors who in turn will conduct seminars/education programmes at workplaces focusing on issues such as prevention, workers’ rights, care and support issues.

Target Group: Affiliates in India, Nepal and Bangladesh
Cooperating Organisation: FNV Mondiaal
Project Period: 2008-2010


Click here for the HIV/AIDS Manaul
Click here for the HIV/AIDS website
 

Long-term education project for women transport workers

There has been change in betterment of women’s lives at union, local, national level and as far as women leadership, sustainability of positions of women in the unions and independent budgets to carry out women’s activities, but for ITF to improve transport women’s lives and their working conditions, it is strongly suggested that ITF continue working with transport women in Asia Pacific countries on women’s empowerment and gender equality. This was a key outcome of the evaluation done of a 3-year project (2005-2007) for education for women transport workers in Asia Pacific region.  

A new 3-year education project has begun this year for women transport workers. The project aims to increase women membership in the participating unions and empower women transport workers. Project activities will encourage and equip women to participate in Individual Work Programmes (IWPs) - Improved skills of trade union women members in formulating and conducting education courses, planning, developing and implementing issue based campaigns, collective bargaining skills, organizing and mobilizing women, networking and lobbying at national and international level, grievance handling, public speaking.

Woman officer/contact persons will be designated for women’s activities in all participating unions. Efforts will also be made to ensure that Women structures are established in all participating unions, that budgets/funds are earmarked for women activities and that women members participate in trade union decision-making bodies. Integration of specific women’s issues in mainstream trade union’s policies will be attempted.  Leadership qualities of women in trade union will be developed.

Target Group: Women leaders, activists and members in South & South East Asian countries
Cooperating Organisation: FNV Mondiaal
Project Period: 2008-2010


Click here for more information on the ITF Women's Department.
 

South Asia transport restructuring project

Transport sectors in almost all the countries of the region have been experiencing continuing deregulation, liberalisation, privatisation and the opening up of sectors for foreign equity participation like in the port and civil aviation industry. Many workers are working under poor conditions with diminishing rights and outsourcing is increasing becoming the norm in all sectors. The aim of the project is to assist unions to effectively deal with these changes and represent the needs and rights of workers by:



Target Group: Union representatives at all levels, educators, grassroots members, women leaders and potential leader from affiliates in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan
Cooperating Organisation: LO-TCO
Project Period: 2005-2006
*An Evaluation Seminar in early January 2009 will discuss to what extent project activities have achieved the objectives and what more remains to be done.
 

Organisation building in Thailand project

The key to the project is to strengthen the trade union movement in Thailand, which has a historically chequered and fragmented past, coupled with low membership levels. Added to this are the challenges of privatisation and job cuts on a large scale, being faced by the unions. The transport sector has primarily been in the public sector and prior to 2000 these workers did not even have the right to form or join unions.

The long-term objectives of the project were to consolidate organisational structures and improve capacities of transport sector unions to influence the government on issues such as labour reform, transport privatisation etc. The immediate aims of the project are to train groups of existing and potential leaders, office bearers and activists in leadership skills and educators through training of trainers, who then conduct programmes in the unions thereby creating union consciousness, awareness of rights and promoting the participation of members in union activities.

The programme has been running for 8 years and periodic evaluation seminars were used to assess the achievements and identify the shortcomings, which then helped to steer the future direction and activities of the project. By and large there is unanimity among the participating Unions that the project activities have benefited them and helped create a foundation for stronger and more representative unions, although the political climate in the country is unstable again and this has added challenges and new dimensions to the existing problems of privatisation being faced by most sectors in transport.

An external evaluation of the project is now underway involving all the stakeholders in the project.

Target Group: Leaders, activists and educators in ITF Thai affiliates
Cooperating Organisation: SASK
Project Period: 2000-2008






Useful links:
The ITF is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
SASK
Trade Union Solidarity Support Organisation

FNV Mondiaal
Trade Union Solidarity Support Organisation

LO-TCO
Trade Union Solidarity Support Organisation

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