Brunei Upholds 'Decent Work' At Asean Labour Talks By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Pehin Dato Awang Haji Adanan, Minister of Home Affairs, and his delegation comprising the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Acting Commissioner of Labour and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Labour Department, are now in Bangkok, Thailand to attend the 20th Asean Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) which is followed by Asean Labour Ministers Meeting with China, Japan and Republic of Korea (ALMM +3) from May 8-9, 2008.

During the ALMM meeting, Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Office delivered a speech. The meeting was preceeded by a Preparatory Senior Labour Officials Meeting from May 6-7. The 20th ALMM carried the theme, "Promotion and Enhancement of Decent Work for the Vulnerable Categories of Labour".

During the ALMM meeting, Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri SetiaAwang Haji Adanan delivered a statement that stressed the following aspects.

The theme of this year's meeting on "Promotion and Enhancement of Decent Work for the Vulnerable Categories of Labour" is most appropriate and well-timed. The basic notion of Decent Work is not only productive work but also fundamental rights of the workers are protected, adequate income is enhanced and sufficient social safeguards are provided. These principles are in line with Brunei Darussalam's labour policy.

The promotion of decent work is a central objective of Brunei Darussalam's national development strategies as well as supporting regional and international policies. In this context, Brunei Darussalam promotes competitiveness, job creation in the private sector, promoting gender equality and social security, improving occupational safety and health condition, the information on labour migration, strengthening labour market and enhancing social dialogue.

By addressing this issue, it contributes not only to Brunei Darussalam's national development but also regional and global integration, he said.

In an effort to promote and enhance decent work in Brunei Darussalam, the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Department of Labour is currently reviewing its Labour Act which will be replaced by the new Employment Order. This new Order, which is at the final stage of drafting, takes into account the promotion of decent work and bench-marking best practices in labour platters within the Asean spectrum as well as echoing to the ILO standard.

"The new Order promotes better working conditions for various categories of labour as well as protecting the labour rights. Consultations with tripartite representatives of employers and workers are also made in the preparation of this Order. In our effort to promote decent working policies, we are also currently drafting a new Workplace Safety and Health Order that will strengthen and enhance safety and health environment in the workplace," the Minister of Home Affairs said.

The 20th ALMM was opened by Samak Sundaravej, Prime Minister of Thailand. The meeting was chaired by Uraiwan Theinthong, Minister of Labour, Thailand.

Among the outcomes of the meeting are the promotion and enhancement of Decent Work for the Vulnerable Categories of Labour. Recognising that human resource development is essential in achieving sustainable development and quality job creation, the Ministers agreed on the importance of decent work. In this regard, focus on the vulnerable categories of labour is imperative.

The Ministers were of the view that Asean has a responsibility to identify these segments of labour and ensure that measures are taken to enhance their well-being and employability.

The Future of Labour within the Asean Community is also another outcome whereby the Ministers noted that various initiatives have been undertaken by the Asean Occupational Safety and Health Network (Asean-OSHNET) in the promotion of decent work through Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). The Ministers lauded the efforts of the Asean-OSHNET to raise OSH standards in Asean through the Plan of Action on National Frameworks.

The Ministers noted with satisfaction the report of the Senior Officials on the progress of Asean Cooperation in the area of labour, in particular on the following, the reconstitution of the Ad-Hoc Working Group as a "SLOM Working Group on Progressive Labour Practices to Enhance the Competitiveness ofAsean" (SLOM-WG), which would be a permanent grouping reporting to SLOM, and its proposed Terms of Reference. The Chairmanship of the SLOM-WG would coincide with that for the ALMM, while the outgoing Chair could serve as the Vice-Chair.

They also noted the follow-up to the implementation of the Asean Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers in particular the convening of the Asean Committee on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, before the 14' Asean Summit in December 2008.

The Committee will determine its work plan, including the timeline towards the development of the Instrument on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers; and the adoption of an incremental approach to skills recognition that is based on prior establishment of national skills frameworks, before discussing how regional skills recognition arrangements can be established. The technical working group comprising the relevant experts would continue to drive the initiatives on skills recognition.

The Ministers noted the findings of the Study on "Progressive Labour Practices to Enhance the Competitiveness of Asean". The Ministers agreed that individual countries could decide on the follow-ups of the study findings at the national level. The Ministers tasked SLOM to identify and undertake the appropriate Aseanlevel follow-ups to these findings. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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