Philippines union works with municipality to improve public services and workers’ benefits

Jonathan Jamora, local president of the Bislig City Employees Association (BISCEA) in the Philippines and a member of the National Executive Board of PSLINK, joined the PSI delegation to the UCLG Congress World Summit for Local and Regional Leaders, in Rabat, Morocco, 1-4 October 2013. BISCEA has built a relationship with Bislig’s municipal government and takes an active role in improving and delivering public services daily.

The union funds a comprehensive benefits system for members in part through earnings from the city government that are redistributed to the workers.

Workers on a low salary can obtain free electricity and water via the union. Hospitalised workers can borrow up to 50,000 pesos interest-free in order to pay their hospital bill, with one year to pay back the loan.

The union recently initiated a solid waste programme to encourage recycling, offering powerful incentives to users to recycle their waste. For example, for each kilogram of cellophane collected, the union offers a kilogram of rice. The mayor has congratulated the union for this remarkable initiative and has offered funds to sustain the project.

BISCEA is also helping PSLINK to organise in local municipalities, by informing workers about the benefits that the union can provide, and how to build democratic social dialogue with municipal government leaders for the benefit of public service users and workers.