[asia-apec 274] Action Plan: Labor & Migrant Forum

[alarm]

Labor And Migrant Rights Forum                                    
IIRR, Silang, Cavite,  Philippines
18-20 November 1996

 ACTION PLAN (LABOR)
                                
1. ALARM's work be extended at least through the 1997 Vancouver parallel
APEC meeting,
for the following tasks:

- continue to disseminate information on APEC-related labor issues in
the region
- work with the Candian organizers to help with a similar pre-forum on
labor and migrant
  rights
- help expand the outreach of groups in the region so as to have more
representative
  delegations at Vancouver, including trade unions, migrant worker
activists, other POs   and NGOs
- gather and circulate examples of successful campaigns waged against
corporations.

2. Launch common inititatives to develop social agenda, e.g. through:

- exchange of information on labor and migrant rights situations in APEC
economies
- adopt a common method of observing and monitoring labor practices in
APEC economies
- identify specific initiatives that can relate to the APEC experience,
for example   NAFTA.

3. Identify common solidarity campaigns in certain industries.

- discuss what common initiatives have been sucessful and what potential
obstacles are    in the region
- establish a concrete agenda in Canada
- do more with the solidarity cases (presented during the LMF) than
simply to listen;     there should be more discussion and planning for
joint response/action on these cases
- possible points of solidarity campaign might be: telecommunications,
forestry &     fishing industries

4. Identify concrete impacts of APEC on labor rights and migrant
workers.

5. Mass media and education campaigns among organiziations in their
respective 
   countries.

6. Campaigns specifically focusing on corporations in the region

7. Build and strengthen workers' networks in the region, e.g. through

- ALARM and/or Canadian groups as a clearinghouse for organizations that
wish to
  communicate or otherwise disseminate information
- continuing the networks established at this labor cluster conference,
including     linking exchange of information and working together on
related initiatives
- possibly bring in the ICTFU and other labor groups and trade unions to
distribute
  information to member unions about the Vancouver forum
- possible meetings between now and next year to update and launch
additional   initiatives.

                            
ACTION PLAN (MIGRANT)

1. Continue and increase efforts towards education of migrants and
would-be migrants.
Discussion should include the phenomenon of globalization and migrants
rights. Some
recommended themes/ideas:

- migrant workers are cheap unprotected labor;
- labor migration is not new and is not a product of globalization --
globalization       intensifies migration and exploitation of migrants;
globalization will result to more   movements of people therefore; the
issue of labor migration in the era of     globalization assumes renewed
significance and therefore can not be taken aside;
- sending countries/governments will further encourage migration and
generate even more 
  money from migrant workers to finance debt, state deficits and
"development" projects;
- receiving countries on the other hand are expected to be more
restrictive; more     tensions between local and migrant workers may be
expected as local workers may feel    threatened and think that migrants
are competing for their jobs;
- other topics for discussion/exploration: conceptualizing on the
nature, characteristics  and  roles of migrant workers; what is their
role in the worker's and people's   movement?

2. Since migrant issue is not new, action to deal with the phenomenon
should start from what we are already doing.

3. Grassroots organizing of/by migrants at home and host countries;
develop methodologies and share them at regional level; link-up with
trade unions; highlight basic point that migrants are workers.

4. Do more public awareness campaign about the real situation, concern
and initiatives of migrant workers.

5. Intensify the campaign on migrant's rights as human rights

- organize migrants' activities during human rights weeks, women's day,
other events
- set an international migrant month or week.

6. Improve system for migrants' action alerts (including linking up with
human rights groups); standardize and improve system of
documentation/information exchange on migrants' issues

7. Pressure governments (e.g. embassies) to extend assistance and to
work for protection of migrants

8. Continue initiatives regarding alternative economic activities,
including re-integration of  migrant workers to their home countries.