“Women and youth have similar impacts on market liberalisation and privatisation, in particularly public services. In many countries, there are gap between the poor and the rich. Decent work on gender equality and youth should be the center of the labour market, ” said Ms. Masako Uemoto, AP WOC Vice-Chair on her message opened Asia Pacific Regional Organisation joint workshop ” Trade Union, Gender and Youth”. The joint workshop was organised by AP Women’s Committee, AP Youth Network and Cambodian affiliate union was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 6th April 2009. Forty nine participants were actively involved on discussion and sharing to carry out the objective of the workshop:

• To strengthen the efforts promoting gender equality and equal opportunities;
• To coordinate the exchange information and share best experience on strengthening the committee/network;
• To work on responding common global trends affecting women and youth

Two resource persons was invited, Mr. Alonzo G. Suson (ACILS, Country Program Director in Cambodia) - click here for his presentation - and Mr. Nuon Veasna (ILO Workers’ Education Project in Cambodia) and presented situation regarding Cambodia Labour Movement and the Trade Union Rights of Public Sector Workers in Cambodia - click here  for his presentation -. 

Ms. Jeoung-Ae, Han, AP WOC Titular of East Asia Sub-regional, presented PSI’ Policy on gender equality and youth focusing on: 50/50 policy of equal representation for women in all its decision-making bodies that are recognised by the constitution; changed its rules to accommodate young workers representation position on its Executive Board (EB); 30% quota for young people, based on gender parity, in all PSI education programmes and ensures that their issues are taken up and acted on, and; the Executive Board (EB) unanimously agreed to accept the recommendation on resolution No. 20 “Succession Planning Through Intensified and Meaningful Involvement of Young Workers”.

Two workshops were conducted in the afternoon session by interactive methods using a role playing and mapping (river of life).

Role Playing, the participants acted to the current situations of young workers and challenging in the labour market. In Japan for example, there is a problem of non-regular workers with high education! Due to financial and economic crisis, there are many college graduate were cut off before they start work. Also, there are many non-regular workers in public work. They receive one-third of salary compare to regular worker. Other group presented situation on young workers and migration. the young worker are being pushed for migration, attracting for better working condition and salary but return home with empty handed as their employer refused to pay their salary. Please click here for the video

Second workshop with the theme of Giving young workers a voice in the trade union: what can we do! using mapping, river of Life. The participants mapped current situation of youth in the trade union, problems faced to youth, what disappoints youth in the upper-stream. In the down stream, participants illustrated what are expectations from Union and ideal situations:

• Cambodian group illustrated in an upper stream, unions in Cambodia is still poor, weak, less experience in negotiation with the Cambodian government. In the down stream, Cambodian groups illustrated ideal union that can protect unionists from exploitation and violence, and able to conduct a dialogue with Cambodian government to deliver voices of unionists. Their ideal life is not just having strong union, but strong union helping them to have a peaceful and safe life (without violence and exploitation) and people having an equal rights and chances.

• Non-Cambodian group illustrated problems which faced by youth, such as privatization, no support from union, language barrier, difficulty in communication, and some pointed out that some youth working condition there are no basic labor union rights. In the down-stream, they illustrated that improve communication by using social networking sites, acquire budget for youth activities.

Mr. Katsuhiko Sato, closed the workshop, and said that today’s presentation and workshop was easy to understand and good to see active discussion. There were diversity through the workshop and many issues were raised. We have to have a hope and keep fighting to improve current situation and achieve ideal which was illustrated during the workshop. It is now time for action!