Green groups to ILO: Upholding workers' rights vital in fighting climate crisis
MANILA, Philippines — Upholding the rights of workers is crucial in crafting a comprehensive response to address the climate crisis, a coalition of grassroots environmentalist groups said as the International Labour Organization began to look into the situation of Filipino workers.
In a statement on Monday, the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment said it is hopeful the ILO-High Level Tripartite Mission to the Philippines will come up with findings that will protect the rights of Filipino workers.
“Now that we are facing a climate crisis that threatens the very survival of humanity, we urge the ILO-HLTM to investigate the various issues plaguing Filipino workers today, and expose the reality of the situation," said Jon Bonifacio, national coordinator of Kalikasan PNE.
He stressed that upholding workers’ rights “is vital to finding just, equitable and sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.”
According to Bonifacio, workers have an important role to play in ensuring the just transition necessary to tackle climate change.
Just transition, according to the ILO, entails “greening the economy in a way that is as fair and as inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.”
The concept means that a shift to cleaner forms of energy and transport should address the impacts of the moves to kick fossil fuel dependence on the rights of workers, and the human rights issues in the wind and solar value chain.
Land defenders
Kalikasan PNE also noted that agricultural workers play the role of “land defenders.”
“When agricultural workers organize themselves against huge agribusiness corporations, they are also fighting against the environmentally-destructive practices of these agribusinesses,” Bonifacio added.
“This includes widespread deforestation needed to create vast tracts of plantations, and monocropping and overuse of chemical fertilizers that destroy soils and pollute rivers,” he continued.
Kalikasan PNE and other groups have documented several cases of harassment, threats, physical assault and killings of agricultural workers.
The Philippines remained the deadliest country in Asia for land and environmental defenders in 2021, according to a report by international organization Global Witness. With 19 reported killings in 2021, the country ranked fourth globally.
Green employment
Forty-five trade unions, workers’ organizations and civil society organizations also crafted a 15-point labor agenda where they called on the government to create more climate jobs.
“Together with environmental and climate justice groups, trade unions and worker organizations are advocating for the promotion and integration of green employment in the government rebuilding programs,” they said.
The groups also recommended the involvement of trade unions and workers’ organizations in climate policy making and development of plans of action.
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