Civil servants’ right to organize affirmed in ratification of international convention

THE Senate on Monday, Aug. 14, concurred with the ratification of International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 151 which seeks to protect the right of civil servants to organize, as well as procedures for determining conditions of employment in public service, a statement by the chamber on Monday said.

ILO, as defined by its Web site, is the tripartite United Nations agency that brings together governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member states to set labor standards, and develop policies and devise programs promoting decent work for all women and men.

With 22 affirmative votes and zero negative votes, the Senate approved on third reading Proposed Senate Resolution No. 454 in line with the convention, as authored and sponsored by Senator Loren B. Legarda, chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations.

Ms. Legarda said in the statement the Philippines is the first Asian country to ratify the convention, which is also known as the “Convention Concerning Protection of the Right to Organize and Procedures for Determining Conditions of Employment in the Public Service.”

ILO Convention No. 151 was first adopted on June 27, 1978 in Geneva, Switzerland, and entered into force on Feb. 25, 1981.

According to the resolution, “the Convention promotes sound labor relations between public authorities and public employees’ organizations through the protection of the right to organize, granting of facilities or privileges to its representatives, full development and utilization of machinery for negotiation of terms and conditions of employment, and promotion of civil and political rights of public employees.”

“The resolution applies to all persons employed by public authorities. The extent to which the guarantees in the Convention shall be applied, in so far as the high-level managerial, policy making and confidential employees are concerned, as well as the armed forces and the police, shall be determined by national law and regulations,” the resolution added.

Under the resolution, the Convention “shall take effect 12 months after the date on which its ratification has been registered with the Director-General of the ILO.” President Rodrigo R. Duterte ratified the Convention on May 26, the Senate statement said.

Source: Business World