The Future of Work Podcast

Good afternoon, and welcome to our ILC Lunchtime Conversations,

brought to you by the ILO Future of Work podcast series.

We're coming to you

from the International Labour Conference here at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Each day we're going to explore a key topic shaping the world of work

with guests from all over the world who will share their insights

and their experiences.

Today, we are going to look at how employer

and business membership organizations and workers' organizations

are putting sustainability into action.

Since early 2024,

from the ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities and the Bureau

for Workers' Activities, also known as ACT/EMP and ACTRAV

they have been working closely with more than 16

organizations from different regions to promote and implement

social and environmental policies in different countries.

On the one hand, through the LEADER

programme, employers' organizations are helping businesses

becoming more sustainable by offering training and sharing knowledge.

At the same time, the Bureau for Workers' Activities is working with young trade

union leaders to promote green jobs, build skills

and have a say in future policies.

And to give you an example of what we're talking about,

we are going to take a closer look of how this is all playing out

in the Philippines, a country on the frontlines

of climate change and economic transformation.

And we're going to hear directly from the organizations that are driving change.

So let me now introduce you to our panelists:

we have Laura Greene, who is

Senior Programme and Operations Officer at ACT/EMP,

the Bureau for Employers' Activities at the ILO.

Hi, Laura. Thank you for being with us.

We have Roland Moya, who is

the Director-General of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines.

Roland,

thank thank you very much for being here.

We have Gigi Martinez Mathay, who is Director

for National and International Affairs at the Trade Union Congress

of the Philippines, the country's largest labour organization.

Thank you very much for being with us.

And last but not least, we have Ariel Castro, who is Desk Officer for Asia

and the Pacific at ACTRAV, the Bureau for Workers' Activities here at the ILO.

So we're going to have

by the global picture, and then we'll talk about the Philippines.

My first question is to you, Ariel.

So, Ariel, from the workers' perspective, why is it important to engage

young trade union leaders in the sustainability agenda?

Yeah. Hello.

Thank you very much.

And I think, it's good

that we're having this conversation in the midst of the frenzy around

the International Labour Conference, and I'm happy to be part of this panel.

I think there are from our perspective at ACTRAV

there are four generally essential elements

why, from an ILO perspective, this matters.

And from a workers' perspective. One is because young people

generally provide intergenerational equity and becoming future ready

by bringing in issues around, in the discussions

around climate justice, green jobs and inclusive growth

also, especially

the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs.

I think the young people are being able to ensure

that the sustainability agenda is indeed relevant.

Apart from that, I think the elements of union revitalization

comes into the picture,

because I think we all know for a fact that all over the world,

in majority countries, union decline is a major challenge.

And I think by bringing in the perspectives of young people

and the sustainable development agenda,

the young people are even more bringing energy and revitalization into the trade

union movement, which is really, really needed, during this time.

And I think the third element is around being able to provide an inclusive

element into the whole discussions, because I think

by ensuring that our advocacy efforts are inclusive,

bringing in young people's perspective, we are able to make sure that,

the young people are, or our policies

even, are able to be more inclusive than ever.

And the last part is, of course, being strategic and innovative,

because I think young people's energy, as I said, bring a lot of energy,

a lot of strategic foresight into, the sustainability agenda,

which we all need at this very juncture of the world.

Thank you.

Thank you Ariel.

Laura, from the employer's perspective, can you tell us more

about how the LEADER Programme is supporting employers' organizations

in strengthening their environmental social practices?

Yes, absolutely.

Thank you, Isabel, and thanks for the opportunity for the dialogue today.

Through the LEADER programme - firstly, just to say we called it

the LEADER programme because we really saw this

as an opportunity

for employer organizations to lead on this topic.

We framed it particularly around environmental, social

and governance issues.

Although we see that this looks different in different parts of the world.

So, for example, we've been working in Latin

America, in Africa, and also in Asia Pacific.

And Roland will give you a very good example of what we've been doing

on the ground there.

But generally overall, we've focused a lot

on the development of training services for employer organizations.

So very practically, this means that for us here

at the global level, we've worked on the development of the tools

as well as the training materials, and supported the employer organizations

in adapting this to their national contexts, so that then

in the future, they're able to offer this as a sustainable service going forward.

Secondly, we're also looking at the aspect of advocacy.

And here I'll give you an example:

we're working in Tanzania at the moment to look at understanding the sustainable

finance legislation, not legislation landscape I should say,

of course, it's linked to legislation sometimes too.

But in that case, we're really looking at what is the role of the employer

organization there in terms of advocating for access to sustainable finance?

We know that once we have, for example, a cohort of enterprises

that are being trained on ESG, (Environmental, Social, and Governance)

they're going to need to be able to implement some of these practices.

So in this case, we're really looking at

how does the employer organization there advocate for these opportunities,

and to make that more available, particularly, for example, to small

and medium-sized enterprises as they look to bring about these changes.

So we've really tried in terms of the way we've developed this programme

to look at where the national needs are and to have this adapted to that context,

because I think sometimes we understand ESG often as,

you know, originating in different parts of the world.

But really we've seen and it's been great to see this: it has been driving

a lot of national conversations.

And what does this mean in the particular countries?

How is it linked to responsible business conduct, which a lot of the employer

organizations already offer services on, for example.

So these are some of the well, the two key things that we've been working on.

And then linked to that, particularly,

for example, linked to the training services.

We also see that there's a big opportunity for employer organizations to engage

more in advisory services as there are more, increasing reporting requirements,

for example, on ESG,

we see that direct support to enterprises is also going to be necessary

in the future.

So these are the I would say the three key things, that we've,

we've seen, and the eight organizations that we've been working with,

they've really started with understanding what their context is.

And because a lot of the ESG legislation is in different parts

of - falls under different aspects: social, environment, etc..

And then

also a kind of undertaking an advocacy with their own membership in the

sense of awareness raising, understanding, you know, where they need to start,

and then in turn, following that with services and support going forward.

So yeah, we've seen great progress made across the regions.

And, very happy to have Roland to share more with us.

Thank you very much, Laura.

And now let's see what's actually happening on the ground.

And we're talking, we have our partners here from from the Philippines.

Gigi, let's start with you.

The trade union you represent has been deeply engaged

in both national and international discussions on climate and labour.

How are you making sure that Filipino workers, especially young people,

as Ariel was saying, have a voice in shaping a just transition?

Thank you for the opportunity to share the things

that we've been doing in the Philippines, of course, through ILO.

But anyway, just to put things in perspective: just transition

in the Philippines have different levels of understanding and engagement.

And I think this is where the challenge and the opportunity comes.

But to ensure that Filipino workers, especially the young workers

in the Philippines, are able to understand and shape just transition

we collaborate with various organizations.

I think we've had a lot of other programmes

which we have done with different GUFs, (Global Union Federations) especially with ILO ACTRAV.

We've done a leadership programme towards just transition.

We've also done, formed

networks and platforms for youth engagement.

And these initiatives involve youth leaders for climate action,

maritime protection.

And of course, the core of it all is social justice and decent work.

These efforts help to amplify their voices

and influence in organizing and eventually the decision-making processes.

So these are efforts like, that just concluded,

leadership for just transition in cooperation with ILO ACTRAV.

We also have the youth for just transition,

which is a collaboration of different other organizations for the youth.

And we also have other advocacy through different flat platforms.

And of course we use social media, and we provide training and upskilling

and capacity building with the help of the global organizations

which we reach out to. In a national policy level, TUCP

is a labour centre with its legislative arm. The TUCP

party list also has just

filed a resolution in our parliament on signifying the commitment

of the House of Representatives of the Philippines on the promulgation

of a just transition framework to ensure that no worker is left behind.

So we hope to be able to push this in the next term

that we will be setting in Congress to be able to build a policy

and a law for protection for just transition for the workers.

Thank you Gigi.

We also have with us Roland Moya, who is Director-General of the Employers

Confederation of the Philippines.

Roland, how is your organization supporting business in the Philippines

to integrate sustainability into the operations?

Give me give me some examples.

Yeah, thank you for that question.

At the Employers

Confederation of the Philippines, we are helping Philippine businesses,

embed sustainability into their operations in both practical and strategic ways.

First, we raise awareness and build capacity.

We regularly host learning sessions, policy dialogues

and workshops that focus on ESG themes,

for example, responsible business conduct,

climate resilience, human rights, due diligence and just transition.

These are not just buzzwords.

They're concrete frameworks that help

businesses futureproof themselves.

Second, we developed a tool called the SDG Value Scan.

This helps companies, especially micro,

small and medium enterprises, assess how their policies

and practices align with the Sustainable Development Goals.

It's a practical entry point to map where they are

and where they can create more value for both business and society.

The third, we advocate for enabling policies.

ECOP collaborates with international and local organizations,

including government agencies, so that the ESG integration

isn't just expected, it must be supported.

And lastly, we recognize and promote best practices

through an awards programme.

These awards shine a spotlight on companies

that are doing ESG right, those that invest in their people,

adopt sustainable practices and strengthen their governance.

These stories inspire others and create

a ripple effect of responsible, business conduct.

There are specific examples on ESG that

companies in the Philippines are doing first in the area of environment.

For example, let me say the case of one manufacturing firm,

that invested in energy efficiency and waste reduction,

thus cutting costs while opening doors to new export markets.

A business process outsourcing company prioritized mental health

and inclusive hiring, resulting in stronger retention and productivity.

And lastly, a family-run enterprise adopted

governance reforms that help them secure sustainable financing.

So we're not - we're seeing that ESG is not just about compliance,

it is about competitiveness and resilience.

And the Employers Confederation of the Philippines

is proud to be a part of that journey with Philippine businesses.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This is a question for all of you.

I think we all agree that to turn sustainability into opportunities

for workers and employers,

it needs to be done through collaboration and through dialogue.

So I'd like to ask first to our partners in the Philippines, Gigi and then Roland:

how are you achieving that?

How are you talking to each other to make sure that this is happening?

And to my colleagues at the ILO, first Laura and then Ariel:

how can the ILO help in this collaboration, in this dialogue? Gigi?

Okay, collaboration between workers and employers ensure sustainability.

Plans are grounded and inclusive.

Workers bring real world insights, while employers can align

(?) efforts with industry needs. The ILO can strengthen this cooperation

by providing - which they are currently doing - technical support,

building dialogue platforms and promoting tripartite mechanisms,

especially for informal and climate vulnerable sectors.

This collaboration leads to effective policies, global challenges,

and positive changes in people's lives, ultimately

driving, decent work outcomes.

So it's basically, the social dialogue and the tripartite mechanisms

that are in place that are actually collaborative methods

for us to make sure that sustainability of just transition is realised. Thank-you. Roland?

Yeah, that's a very important question.

I look at it from the perspective of both

opportunities and challenges.

But at the same time, I look at it as a great window for transformation.

The biggest opportunity lies in leveraging social dialogue

as a strategic tool,

not just a compliance mechanism.

When employers and workers engage meaningfully,

they can co-create solutions.

And that's very important to some of the biggest sustainability

issues. Social dialogue builds trust, and trust

is the foundation for agility, innovation and long-term resilience.

And then when we see the tripartite collaboration

among government employers and workers is very essential

for a just transition because no one can do it alone.

The challenge, however, is capacity and mindset.

There are workplaces that may still not

be ready to have these conversations.

Either the mechanisms for dialogue are weak, or there's a gap in understanding

the value of these partnerships in driving ESG and SDG outcomes.

In some cases, social dialogue is reactive rather than proactive.

So moving forward, we must invest in strengthening

institutional mechanisms, build capacity on both sides

and shift the narrative from confrontation to collaboration, and from short-term

transactions to long-term transformation. Which is not always easy.

Laura, how do you think we can help from from the ILO, from the Bureau

of Employers' Activities to promote this collaboration and social dialogue?

Thanks Isabel.

I'm not sure I can say it much better than Gigi and Roland

have said it.

But, from our perspective, it's exactly what Ariel also picked up on,

it's really around this future proofing,

and I think social dialogue has a very key role to play in that, and particularly

through the Bureaus, we have a role in terms of capacity building,

and that's really where we've been angling in order to be able to support

our social partners within contexts like the Philippines, but also elsewhere,

to be able to engage

in these types of discussions, which particularly in the realm of ESG,

for us, it's really necessary that these are fit for purpose, really,

and designed within the national context and for the national needs.

Particularly because some of this is often driven

from external factors sometimes, which can be an important driver.

But, of more importance is how the country itself

and the social partners within the country want to understand that

and to take that in the future.

Ariel,

I think you also have lots to say about how

the Bureau of Workers' Activities can help.

I think I would tend to repeat what they have already said.

I think a key element here in all of this is capacity building.

But it's not just about capacity building,

it's about innovative capacity building,

one that builds the individual to make sure that that individual makes change,

and that change in a way contributes

to a very positive and enabling environment.

And that is the real essence of capacity building.

We cannot be any more in the in the business of having this business-

as-usual approach to capacity building, but we need to be more innovative,

thinking of ways and means of how we can harness the experience,

the expertise of the employers' and the workers'

organizations. And very useful

what Roland said, trying to co-create things, because I think

that is the best element that both social partners

can bring into the discussion, into the social dialogue mechanism.

By working together, workers' and employers' organizations,

they can bring

innovative policy solutions on the table,

so that the government can listen more

and the people can appreciate more the roles of of the social partners.

And that in a way, also make sure that, you know,

we don't leave anyone behind in the whole discussion.

So I think capacity building that is innovative, that is inclusive

and that makes sure that we are not doing the business as usual,

but trying to make sure that the co-creation process exists.

Of course, it's easier said than done, but I think with examples

that we've had in the Philippines, I mean, I'm sure they will be bringing

more of these elements into the discussion.

I mean, I would say that the leaders forum is one classic example

of how workers' and employers' organizations are pushing

labour reform agenda processes in a more positive way,

and trying to make the government act more on their commitments

to ensuring an enabling environment for,

for example, freedom of association and collective bargaining.

So I think there's lots to do there,

but I think, as Laura said,

we need to make sure that it is contextualized in the national setting

and it brings into the focus the needs and the aspirations of

those that are going to benefit and those that are going to make sure

to implement these efforts and these initiatives.

As you just said, I think inclusiveness, social

dialogue, collaborations are key words in these transitions.

And these are the words that we're going to use to close

our conversation today.

Is there any urgent matter, any urgent thing

that you would like to underline before we close?

I think for one,

this platform, the ILC, plus the tripartite

bodies are good avenues for us to be able to sustain

all those that we've done back home and bring it to the world,

to the workers front and also to be able to help us

strengthen what we've been fighting for from the very beginning.

Okay. Thank you very much for all.

Thank you very much for being here.

So that's all for today's episode.

We have been talking about turning sustainability

into opportunities for employers and workers.

Thank you for listening

and we hope you'll join us again

for more conversations on the key issues shaping the world of work.

Don't forget to follow us on social media for updates and insights on X:

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@International Labour Organization, on LinkedIn: @International Labour

Organization as well, Instagram: @ILO.org and YouTube: ILOTV.

So until next time, take care and goodbye from all of us here

at the ILO in the International Labour Conference here in Geneva.

Thank you very much.