Foreign labor leaders meet in Jobs, Justice Conference

At least 40 labor leaders from 19 countries have gathered today for the Conference on Jobs and Justice at St. Theresa's College in Cebu City, coinciding with the business leaders' own 4th Asean Business and Investment Summit.

Media head of Ibon Foundation Inc., Rhea Padilla, said the Asia Pacific Research Network is organizing this alternative conference, involving workers groups, trade unions, NGOs, and labor advocates.

Padilla said the participating labor leaders are from Pakistan, United States, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Nepal, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Fiji, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Taiwan, Europe, Korea and Africa.

The conference is expected to provide participants more tools in resisting policies against workers, defending workers' rights, and advancing the struggle for economic and social justice, said a press release from APRN.

The participants would also tackle about the effects of the agenda being discussed in the Asean business summit, which is participated by businessmen and corporate leaders in Southeast Asia.

The APRN has presently 37 member-organizations from 17 countries with the main purpose of exchanging information on international issues, as well as experiences, technologies, and methods in research.

IBON, on the other hand, is a research-education-information development institution that studies socio-economic issues confronting Philippine society and the world today. It explores alternatives and promotes new ideas for the Filipinos. - Jasmin R. Uy/RAE