Ian Mariano
Health Sector Organising in the Philippines
This project will strengthen the unions’ capacity to organize new members, which in turn should assist in strengthening bargaining power. The project will also campaign on issues of precarious workers, privatization, increases in the public health budget and legislative measures such as Expanded Maternity Leave and the Universal Health Care Act through cooperation with other labour groups and CSOs in the Philippines.
PSI is particularly conscious that the conditions of work in the sector affect the quality of the services available to general populations. The world-wide growth of precarious work has clearly had negative consequences on the quality of public services. In 2011, PSI conducted a global survey among affiliates on precarious work issues: health sector unions in Asia-Pacific reported precarious work had led to membership loss, increased sense of fear among members, loss of membership dues and decreased collective bargaining capacities.
PSI affiliates in both the public and private health sectors, are participating in this project which considers the sustainability of organizations as they organize and engage in collective bargaining while promoting and campaigning for quality public services in the Philippines health sector.
See the links below of the Legislative measures that were signed into law. Through this project, PSI continues to actively campaign, along with other labour groups in the Philippines, for the implementation of such measures.