ILC114 - EU Statement - Committee on Application of Standards - Philippines C.98

International Labour Conference

114th Session

Geneva, 8 June 2026

Committee on the Application of Standards

Philippines

C98 - Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949

Thank you, Chair. 

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Republic of Moldova as well as the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

We are committed to the respect, protection and fulfilment of labour rights including the right to organise and to collective bargaining. We promote universal ratification and effective implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions and support the ILO supervisory system in its crucial role of promoting and supervising the application of ratified standards.

We recall that the Philippines have ratified the C98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention of 1949, in the same year. We are concerned by the latest observation of the Committee of Experts concerning the application of this fundamental Convention.

We note with concern the lack of detailed information provided by the Government on the allegations raised by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and the observations of the 2018 Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, which concern alleged union-busting practices, blacklisting and anti-union dismissals and suspensions in three companies.

We recall the Committee’s observation that despite measures taken by the Government, the latter needs to intensify its efforts to ensure that all workers covered by the Convention can effectively benefit from its guarantees, including the right to collective bargaining. We further call on the Government to engage in dialogue with the social partners to explore ways of operationalising collective bargaining for self-employed workers and non-standard categories of workers, including those working in the informal economy.

We call on the Government to engage in consultations with the social partners concerned to explore ways that would allow all workers covered by the Convention, including public sector employees not engaged in the administration of the State, to negotiate their terms and conditions of employment. This should include negotiating wages, benefits, allowances and working time. We ask the Government to take the necessary measures to that effect.

We welcome the increase in the number of collective agreements concluded. Nevertheless, we are concerned that the number of workers covered by these agreements continues to be extremely low compared to the overall size of the working population in the country. We therefore call on the Government to continue taking all necessary legal and practical measures to promote the full development and utilisation of collective bargaining under Convention 98.

We will continue to follow the situation closely and remain committed to promoting the right to organise and to collective bargaining. In this regard we invite the Government to avail itself of the technical assistance of the ILO.

Thank you, Chair.

1. ^  North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.