Let’s make trade unions more gender just Booklet 2: Spaces and strategies for gender just transformation in core union activities

Content

01 Gender justice at the core of trade unions [ pg 4] Gender justice strengthens trade unions for the following reasons[ pg. 4] 02 Integrating women in union’s activities[ pg. 5] 03 Sustaining efforts towards gender justice[ pg. 24] • Organising[ pg. 5] • Campaign advocacy and mobilising skills training[ pg. 14] • Collective bargaining[ pg. 15] • Education and training[ pg. 19] • Publications[ pg. 22] • Networking/campaign advocacy[ pg. 23] • Gender audit and gender analysis[ pg. 25] • Stakeholder consultations[ pg. 27] • Gender action plan[ pg. 27] • Implementation of the gender action plan[ pg. 29] • Monitoring and evaluation[ pg. 30]

Foreword Historically, trade unions have been seen as“organisations of brotherhood”. But today more than 40 per cent of the global labour force is female. It is of strategic importance for unions to seriously include women and their interests, not only to build their membership base, but also to consolidate their societal influence, especially in a changing world of work. For us at FES, trade unions are one of our most important partners in supporting democracy and social justice worldwide. Therefore, in 2021, we set out to learn more about trade unions’ practices in supporting change towards gender equality. Consequently, we published the handbook “Transformative Strategies towards Gender Equality in Trade Unions: A Handbook” that explores strategies, ideas, and methods to address gender equality within unions. Along the way, we felt the need to distill complex concepts of the handbook into clear actionable format that could be used by our trade union partners into their day-to-day operations and policymaking. Together with the authors, Melisa R. Serrano and Verna Dinah Q. Viajar, we developed the action-oriented booklet series, Let’s Make Trade Unions More Gender Just. We extend our deepest gratitude to Melisa and Verna, who have dedicated their expertise and passion to this essential work. Their commitment has been instrumental in transforming a comprehensive handbook into a practical resource. The booklet series consists of two parts – Booklet 1: Gender Just Policies and Structures and Booklet 2: Spaces and Strategies for Gender Just Transformation in Core Union Activities. Each booklet offers practical steps, concrete world examples, and recommendations that can be seamlessly integrated into the day-to-day operations and policies of trade unions. Booklet 2 provides practical information on transforming trade unions into a more gender just organisations through the integration of women leadership and membership in the core functions of the trade union. It highlights some useful tools to sustain gender justice gains. As you explore these booklets, we invite you to approach them with an open mind and a willingness to consider new perspectives. Embrace the strategies outlined within these pages, and allow them support your efforts in creating a more equitable and just trade union environment. The journey towards gender justice is ongoing, but with these resources in hand, we are taking significant strides towards a more inclusive future. Together, we can make our unions more gender just and contribute as a changemaker for a gender just world of work and society as a whole. Natalia Figge and Priyanka Kapar FES Regional Gender Justice Project in Asia

2 About the booklet This booklet is derived from an earlier publication titled Transformative Strategies towards Gender Equality in Trade Unions: A Handbook. This handbook, released in 2022, includes featured conversations with women and men from international and national trade unions about their experiences in advancing gender equality in their fields, along with relevant resources shared by the interviewees. scan for the handbook The present booklet provides“how-to” guidance for the practical application of the contents of the handbook, catering to union-specific needs. Specifically, the booklet can be used for: • developing and implementing policies and structures to transform unions into gender just organisations, • formulating strategies that trade unions at all levels can use to integrate gender equality and women members into core programmes and day-to-day activities and operations, and • mainstreaming gender equality in union policies, programmes, and activities at all levels.

The booklet consists of two parts: Part I: Gender just policies and structures Part II: Spaces and strategies for gender just transformation in core union activities Both booklets are relevant for anyone working with or for unions. However, Booklet 1 is specifically designed for trade union leaders(local and national levels), labour educators, organisers, and influencers or activists within the trade unions. Booklet 2 targets sectoral unions at the local and shop floor levels that are involved in the day-to-day operations of the labour organisation. This booklet provides practical information on transforming trade unions into a more gender just organisations through the integration of women leadership and membership in the core functions of the trade union. Specifically, the booklet provides: 3 Gender justice as the freedom to choose different ways of being and living based on equal distribution of resources, equal possibilities to exert influence and equal respect regardless of gender. Key areas to integrate participation and representation of women; Ways to promote gender justice at workplace, community and international levels; Tools relevant to sustaining gender justice gains. 1 “Shop floor” historically refers to the area of an industrial facility where production takes place; in a union context the term is used more widely to designate employees outside management levels.

4 1. Gender justice at the core of trade unions Trade unions, given their historical role as proponents of social equality, have been at the forefront in integrating female workers into the labour movement. Besides advancing economic interests of their members, trade unions in various countries, to varying degrees, play broader economic, political and social roles. They are a critical actor within capitalist democracies because they represent the interests of the under-represented in pluralist societies. Therefore, trade unions play a key role in promoting democracy, equality, and social justice not just in the workplace but in larger society as well. Yet, women remain under-represented in trade unions, despite becoming increasingly important in the world of work over the years. According to a 2017 Gender Equality Survey by the International Trade Union Congress(ITUC), women on average comprised 42.4 per cent of all its members. 2 The same ITUC survey found that the average representation rate for women in the highest union decision-making bodies within ITUC affiliates was 28 per cent. Women are also under-represented in national social dialogue institutions(NSDIs), such as economic and social councils, tripartite commissions, and labour advisory boards. Available data for 2018 show that female membership in NSDIs ranged from 20 to 35 per cent only. Gender justice strengthens trade unions for the following reasons: • Women workers and social justice proponents are more motivated to join the union and mobilise for collective action, thereby strengthening associational and institutional power. • Women bring their unique experience and expertise into dialogue and debate within trade unions and their working structures. Their inclusion makes trade unions more representative and democratic, thereby increasing their associational power. It also strengthens the intersectional profile of unions, hence promoting their societal power. • The work women do is an integral part of the exploitation that takes places within the working class as a whole in capitalism. Whenever unions fight injustices based on gender, they fight to defend the interests and rights of both male and female workers, thereby strengthening the workers’ power. The transformational process towards a gender just union organisation is a multi-faceted and longterm process that can take place at various spaces and levels of trade union work, and through a combination of strategies. This includes integrating gender issues and enhancing gender just practices in trade union work and activities such as organising, collective bargaining, education and training, networking and coalition building, and gender audits. All the strategies discussed hereafter are complementary and mutually reinforcing to the ones discussed in Part I. 2 See Tamara Gausi, 2018, Special Report: Count Us In!

5 2. Integrating women in unions’ activities Organising Labour organising refers to recruiting members, establishing and maintaining local unions, and mobilising union members in support of trade union actions. Organising expands and maintains the union membership. It is the lifeblood of the organisation. To sustain itself, a trade union must aim to organize women workers into its organisation. Why is it important to target women in union organising? • Women comprise 42 per cent of the world’s total workforce as of 2024, according to the World Economic Forum(WEF). 3 Their representation in unions ensures that the specific needs and concerns of this significant portion of works are addressed. It also enhances inclusion and diversity in the labour movement. • Women often face unique challenges at work, such as discrimination, harassment, genderbased violence, pay inequity, and limited advancement opportunities. Trade unions need women in order to effectively address these gender-specific issues in the workplace, within the unions, and in the broader world of work. • Increased participation and representation of women in the trade unions strengthen union power. It diversifies membership base. • Increasing women’s membership in trade unions is crucial for forming of a critical mass that can promote gender justice within the union organisations, the workplace, and the community. • Increased participation of women in trade unions not only empowers unions to fight for rights of workers of all genders, but furthermore empowers women workers to claim rights and welfare. 3 See WEF, 2024,“Gender Gap: This is the state of work for women in 2024”

6 Integrating women in union’s activities Actions on making organising more gender just a. Targeted organising strategy This strategy is already being implemented in trade unions, mostly in those that have resources for expansion of membership. It is used by unions to maximize limited resources with a high probability of good results. Most often, targeted organising may focus on particular workers based on: territory(i.e., region); sector/industry(i.e., public sector, garments); or type of workers(i.e., youth, women, etc.). The initiative of the BWI(Building and Woodworkers International) union in organising women across regional affiliates is a good example of targeted organising strategy. The organising project called Women in Trades: Skilled Sisterhood Under Construction organizes women construction workers(i.e., welders, masons, bricklayers, etc.) across Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa. In its 2021 Women In Trades(WIT) Global Research Report, BWI reflected on the difficulties and successes of the ongoing targeted organising strategy by highlighting best practices, what worked and what did not. A targeted organising strategy needs to be approved by the union as a policy action. It is an important policy decision to target women workers for organising to expand their representation in trade unions. To attain such a policy decision, it is important to muster enough support within the organisation from decisionmakers and union organisers themselves. To implement a targeted organising strategy for women, it is imperative that the union leadership and membership are convinced regarding the importance of having a targeted organising policy for women. How a targeted organising strategy increases women’s participation in trade unions The targeted organising strategy for women seeks to reach out to and gather women workers in the formal and informal sectors around organised structures, thereby enhancing the visibility of women’s participation in trade unions. For example, this strategy organises those women who are otherwise perceived as“unorganisable” such as domestic workers located in households; women in male-dominated industries such as construction workers; or those in remote areas such as rural and agricultural women workers. However, the union must first approve to implement this organising policy in order to access the resources(human and financial) needed for such a strategy. It is thus important to mobilise support for the implementation of this strategy especially from the head of the organising committee and local trade union presidents. This support can be generated through union visits, informal discussions, and/or formal roundtable discussions with union leaders and members.

Integrating women in union’s activities 7 Steps to implement a strategy on targeted organising for women: 1. The women committee or women representatives in the trade union’s policy-making and executive bodies propose the targeted organising strategy in cooperation with the union’s organising committee. 2. Discussions are held between the organising committee, union leaders and policymakers for the prompt allocation of resources to implement the targeted organising strategy for women. 3. Women organisers are recruited. During their organising training(i.e., campaign and advocacy, negotiation, etc.) and skills based training(i.e., para-legal, gender-sensitivity, etc.), these women organisers are assigned to the field through practical secondments or apprentice programmes in organising. 4. The new women organisers participate in a mentorship programme in organising for their initial organising assignments in the field. The organising committee of the trade union implements the organising training programme. 5. A structured monitoring and evaluation process is integrated into the organising training programme.

8 Integrating women in union’s activities Sample: Policy proposal towards a targeted organising strategy for women Submission Date: Policy Sponsor: Women’s Committee Approving Office: Trade Union Board of Directors Responsible Office: Trade Union Secretariat POLICY PROPOSAL “Targeted organising Strategy for Women Workers” I. Background/Reason for Proposed Policy Examples: “Despite increasing participation of women in the labour market through the years, female membership in trade unions has not kept up. Trade unions, to be more representative, need to include women workers in its membership in proportion to the number of women in the company’s workforce.” (Provide data relating to the women workforce in this company: i.e., per cent of women in the company workforce, membership and leadership) (Provide background of union policies on organising and gender mainstreaming i.e., union policies on organising or increasing membership, on gender mainstreaming, and cite policies on gender from union CBL) “Among the strategies to broaden the representation of women and enhance their participation in trade unions is the implementation of targeted organising to increase female membership. Organising women workers into union membership can substantially alleviate the decline in union membership.” (Include in the background other justifications why it is needed to implement a targeted-organizing strategy of women workers) II. Overview of Proposed Policy [Summarize here the principles, elements and dimensions of the proposed policy. Also, briefly outline the procedures to be used to implement it.] Example: The proposed policy strategy on‘targeted organising of women workers provides substance to the organisation’s principles on the promotion of gender equality, non-discrimination and gender-fair policies. This organising strategy compliment the overall labour organising framework of the trade union and shall form part of the organisation’s multi-form organising strategies(i.e., territorial organising, national/local level organising, sweeping/creeping organising, etc.). The policy strategy shall be conducted after the following: a. Baseline research on women workforce in the company(i.e., percentage, profile, demographic, etc.; b. Organising strategy planning; c. Identification of lead committee and organizing coordinators in the union; d. Identification of women organisers for the project.

Integrating women in union’s activities 9 III. Stakeholders [List the stakeholders who are most knowledgeable about the subject matter of the proposed policy and/or would be most affected by the proposed policy] Example: • Trade union Board of Directors(proposed policies are discussed and reviewed in this level); • Trade union executive officers and secretariat; • Committee on Women; • Committee on Organising; • Shop stewards. [These stakeholders may be consulted during the development of the proposed policy, along with other stakeholders as determined by the trade union.] IV. Cost/Resource Requirements [To the extent feasible, identify anticipated cost or resource requirements of the proposed policy, including any human, financial, operational, technological, or other resources that will be needed to carry out the policy.] Example: Anticipated costs Since the implementation of the proposed policy on targeted organizing strategy will be mainstreamed and integrated within existing programmes of the union, the resources needed may be minimal and justifiable. The resources needed in the future to sustain the strategy include: • Dissemination of new policy regulations for enforcement through informing, planning and execution of the policy change; • Hiring and deploying women organizers; • Training and upgrading the skills of women organisers(i.e., paralegal training on labour, gender sensitivity seminars, etc.). Signed: Union Women’s Committee Officers and Members Union Shop Stewards Women Union Members

10 Integrating women in union’s activities b. Recruit and increase number of women organisers Women unionists who have potential organising skills need to be recruited as organisers for the union. Organising work requires specific skills necessary to be effective organisers. How do you identify if a unionist has the potential to be an organiser? ☐ Strategic thinking ☐ Commitment ☐ Adaptability ☐ Problem-solving ☐ Discernment ☐ Trust-building ☐ Communication skills Ability to quickly grasp a clear and strategic direction after examining the situation and environment for organising A strong zeal and commitment to achieving the set organising goals Quick reflexes in adjusting to different types of situations while organising on the ground Flexibility to find solutions and articulate the needs of members within workplace or community undergoing organising Ability to identify potential union leaders within a workplace or community, and to recognise influential women who can be assets to the trade union Ability to build trust and confidence by conveying support for the specific needs of women workers Capability to reach and understand the hearts and minds of fellow workers and the public in general through effective speaking and leadership skills Remember, organising skills are not gender-specific!

c. Train women workers to be organisers Integrating women in union’s activities 11 The skills needed to develop an organiser are also helpful in developing their skills to impart knowledge, mobilise people for a particular issue and establish linkages with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Women trade unionists who become organisers also increase their potential to be good educators, campaign mobilisers and leaders. These women become empowered and at the same time they empower others. Empowering women within trade unions goes beyond adding members. It is also about building a force for change. Therefore, training women workers to be organisers is crucial. When women are empowered to lead organising, it prepares them for a new generation of female leaders capable of assuming future leadership roles. • # Provide mentorship training Mentorship training is one of the ways to capacitate women workers to enhance their skills and to ensure established organising leaders can provide guidance to aspiring ones. These trainings should focus on both the hard and the soft skills required in organising. Soft skills include communication, teamwork, and developing critical thinking and integrity. The International Labour Organization(ILO) promotes projects on soft skills for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM) 4 to prepare workers to adapt to the changing labour market. The ILO has identified the following as crucial dimensions in soft skills development: professionalism and work ethic; oral and written communication; teamwork and collaboration skills; and critical thinking or problem-solving skills. In preparing for the workplace of the future, hard skills refer to the skills needed to complete tasks and acquired through training or schooling such as programming skills, social media marketing, bookkeeping, and spoken languages. A significant example in mentorship training would be the ITUC-Asia Pacific mentorship training for its members to further capacitate its members. The mentorship programme involves the affiliates of the Asian Trade Union Council(ATUC) in the ASEAN and the ITUC Asia Pacific(ITUC-AP) affiliates, and is supported by the DGB Bildungswerk. 5 • # Leadership training Leadership trainings empower and equip women workers with practical skills such as communication, negotiation, planning and decision-making. It fosters a supportive and inclusive environment where women can capacitate themselves to be leaders within their union. A good example of such a training is The WaY2Go Women and Youth Together for Leadership, developed jointly by the ITUC-AP, the ATUC and the ITUC Global Leadership Program. 4 See Empowering Women in STEM: ILO Soft Skills Training at Nestle- YouTube. 5 See Going the extra mile: ITUC-Asia Pacific/DGB BW/ATUC Mentorship Program shows promising results| ITUC-Asia Pacific(ituc-ap.org)

12 Integrating women in union’s activities CASE STUDY 1 ITUC-AP’s The WaY2Go Women and Youth Together for Leadership Training and Curriculum Manual The comprehensive training manual is designed for trainers and/or facilitators who are conducting face-to-face training. The trainers/facilitators may be Women and Youth Representatives(WYRs) or union member/non-member trainers and facilitators. The training programme consists of 10 face-to-face modules of learning modules conducted on eight full days and two half-days(a total of nine days) of training. The sessions are designed to be highly interactive and provide participants with opportunities to reflect on particular topics of interest and learn from each other and the facilitator through structured discussions, paired discussions and exercises. These 10 modules of the programme are: 1 Module 1: Trade Unionism and Me 6 Module 6: Communication Strategy 2 Module 2: Our World of Work 3 Module 3: Gender Equality: Women and Youth Are All In This Together 7 Module 7: Advocacy and Campaigns 8 Module 8: Negotiation is Fun 4 Module 4: Me as a Trade Union Leader 9 Module 9: SMART Planning 5 10 Module 5: Educating Unionists, Stakeholders and Other Allies Module 10: Results-Oriented Monitoring The training manual is accompanied by a Trainer Resource Pack, which provides additional annexes containing supplementary information to support the facilitator, participant learning, and group discussions in each of the modules of the programme. SOURCE: Extracted from ITUC-Asia Pacific, DGB Bildungswerk, and ASEAN Trade Union Council(2021). The WaY2Go Women and Youth Together for Leadership: Training and Curriculum Manual. https://www.ituc-ap.org/resources/the-way2go-women-and-youth-together-for-leadership-training-andcurriculum-manual

Integrating women in union’s activities 13 Module 3 of this Manual expounds on the training about gender equality, gender roles, sexism and activity responses. See module programme below in this link: https://tinyurl.com/mrxyvkyj Timing 30 Mins 30 Mins 30 Mins 30 Mins 15 Mins 30 Mins 30 Mins 1 Hour 30 Mins 1 Hour 30 Mins 15 Mins 45 MIns 1 Hour Session Registration Defining Gender Equality Activity 3.1 A First Taste of Mindfulness Activity 3.2 Bias vs. Preference Activity 3.3 Gender Equality Word Scrabble Sex and Gender Activity 3.4 Stand Like a Man/Woman Sexism, Misogyny and Gender Stereotypes Activity 3.5 Act Like a Man/Lady Activity 3.6 Gender Role Box Break Gender Roles and Relations Activity 3.7 Silent Floor Exercise Activity 3.8 Girl and Boy Consequences of Discriminatory Practices Activity 3.9 What’s In It For Me? Activity 3.10 The Daffodil Riddle Lunch Break Taking Action Activity 3.12 Envisage a New Future Break Small Steps, Gaint Leap for Gender Equality Activity 3.13 Equality Now Count Us In Activity 3.14 Count Us In Logo Activity 3.15 The Fox and The Crane SOURCE: Extracted from ITUC-Asia Pacific, DGB Bildungswerk, and ASEAN Trade Union Council(2021). The WaY2Go Women and Youth Together for Leadership: Training and Curriculum Manual. https://www.ituc-ap.org/resources/

14 Integrating women in union’s activities Campaign advocacy and mobilising skills training Union organisers more often than not are called upon to lead campaign actions and mobilisation of memberships on specific labour issues. This training prepares them to devise campaign strategies applicable to their specific organising contexts. Campaigns and advocacy for trade unions refer to specific demands on particular labour issues with clear and intensifying actions to meet the issue demands. The choice of a campaign issue for labour requires: specific and strategic goals; membership support; and public support. 6 An advocacy campaign for labour likewise identifies specific targets(e.g., the department of labour, employers, or other trade unions) to be able to institute change. • Paralegal training • Discussion of political and labourThis training refers to the labour laws and policy issues policies within the specific society that Regular updates and discussions on burning affect and govern organising work for trade labour issues of the day are important for unions. This training involves the methods union organisers. They need to be the and avenues in resolving labour conflicts first to be informed on labour issues to when they arise through labour mediation, prepare them for recruiting union members, arbitration and dispute settlement. building unions and engaging in campaigns and mobilisations. These activities include In April 2024, the Philippines’ Department forums, roundtable discussions, and of Labour and Employment, in cooperation workshops on topical labour and political with the University of the Philippines Law issues. The main goal is to equip trade Center’s Workers and Employees Program unionists with the knowledge to be able (WEP), provided paralegal training for trade to keep up on various national, regional or unionists. 7 These types of training are meant international debates around labour and to lessen industrial conflicts leading to cases other policies. Political discussions may or filed in the labour courts. may not lead to actions or designing a campaign advocacy programme. But the important element is the participation of workers in discussions of issues beyond the workplace and what they can do about them. The UN Foundation blog post 5 Global Issues to Watch in 2024 8 provides further insights into possible political and labour policy debates. 6 See Advocacy campaigns for labour unions: how to choose a winning issue.| by Jack Milroy| Medium 7 See Paralegal Training Program for Trade Unionists| The Manila Times 8 See 5 Global Issues to Watch| UN Foundation

Collective bargaining Integrating women in union’s activities 15 Collective bargaining negotiation is a core task of trade unions, yet few women are included at the negotiating table. To address women’s issues in collective bargaining agreements, trade unions have been consulting with women’s committees to ensure women’s benefits are included, especially in workplaces where women make up more than 30 per cent of the workforce. However, participation by women in actual negotiations remains low, except for female-dominated industries such as garments. Women-specific provisions, such as menstrual leave, often get traded with economic provisions like increased meal allowances during collective bargaining negotiations. When there are few women negotiators on the union team, these specific provisions tend to be sidelined. Therefore, it is crucial to increase women’s participation in the negotiation process and strengthen gender transformative collective bargaining.

16 Integrating women in union’s activities Steps on how to make collective bargaining negotiations more gender just: 1. Involve women committees Include women committees in planning and 5. Organise training and capacity strategising in every round of negotiations enhancement programmes towards a collective bargaining agreement. Train women unionists to enhance their negotiation and leadership skills. 2. Research and consult Conduct consultations with female union members to gather input on their needs Empower them to take active roles in collective bargaining programmes. and concerns and develop research on Implement mentorship programmes gender-specific provisions to strengthen where experienced negotiators can arguments of proposed gender just guide aspiring ones. provisions during negotiation process. 6. Gender audits 3. Increase women representation Make gender audits a periodical process to at the table evaluate implementation of inclusive and Enhance participation of women in intersectional practices. collective bargaining process as negotiators, researchers and documenters. Set quotas 7. Advocate for policy changes or goals to include a certain percentage of Promote policy changes to ensure equal women in negotiations. opportunities and representation for women and other genders in the union’s collective 4. Set gender transformative agenda bargaining process. Ensure that the collective bargaining negotiations address impacts, needs and concerns of all gender and advise on solutions that work for all. Among the common gender specific issues included in collective bargaining agreements are maternity protection measures, separate restrooms, breast-feeding or nursing rooms, protection against discrimination for pregnant workers, menstrual leave, retirement benefits that may affect women more significantly due to their informal or part-time work status, increased access to career development programmes, and training and advancement opportunities. In addition, gender transformative issues such as equal pay for equal work, parental leave, childcare support, flexible work arrangements, anti-harassment policies, or gender parity, can help trade unions work towards more inclusive and equitable workplaces for all.

Integrating women in union’s activities 17 Below is an example of a gender-specific collective bargaining agreement where the Philippines Metal Alliance secured maternity leave for its female workers. Sample collective bargaining agreement provision on maternity leave ARTICLE XVI MATERNITY LEAVE Section 1. Duration, Under RA 11210(An Act Increasing the Maternity Leave Period to 105 Days tor Female Employees with An Option to Extend for An Additional 30 Days Without Pay, and Granting Additional 15 Days for Solo Mothers, and for Other Purposes), female employee will be entitled to: a. Maternity leave of 105 calendar days for live childbirth, regardless of the mode of delivery; b. Additional 15 days paid leave, if the female workers qualify as a solo parent, under RA 8972, or the Solo Welfare Act of 2000; c. 60 days paid leave for miscarriage and emergency termination of pregnancy; d. An option to extend an additional thirty(30) days without pay for cases of live childbirth; During this period, she will receive her regular basic salary from the COMPANY. She will also be entitled to an advance financial assistance equivalent to her SSS maternity benefit provided she compiles with the SSS requirements stated below. The female employee concerned may go on leave two calendar weeks before the expected date of delivery. If she fails to avails of this pre-delivery leave or any part thereof, the same may be added to her post delivery leave. Any time off in excess of the number of days, provided by SSS for her maternity leave shall be without pay. However, the female employee may charge extended leave either to her Sick Leave Fund or available leave credits upon approval of the COMPANY. In case of no more available leave credit, she may apply for SSS Sickness Benefit. Section 2. Procedure/Notification. As soon as an employee becomes aware that she is pregnant, she shall immediately notify Human Resources Division through: SSS Maternity Notification Form No. B300A and“Application for Leave” Form Immediately, upon the employee’s return to work, she must complete SSS“Maternity Benefit Reimbursement Application” Form B304A to enable the COMPANY to recover from SSS the maternity benefits advanced to her. Section 3. Extension. The leave may be extended on account of illness, certified by a doctor as arising out of pregnancy, delivery or miscarriage, and rendering the female employee unfit for work. This may be charged against vacation and Sick Leave Fud. Section 4. COMPANY grants maternity benefits of additional forty-five(45) days with pay on top of the government mandated maternity benefits and can only be availed during the first two(2) deliveries or miscarriage. See Annex C for further details. Source: Collective bargaining agreement of a local union affiliated with the Philippine Metal Alliance, 2016-2021.

18 Integrating women in union’s activities Things to consider before stepping into collective-bargaining negotiations: • The negotiating team: The formation venue and other guidelines governing of the negotiation team is a legal question the negotiation process. The union must and an issue of representation. The trade study this carefully and decide on terms union and the employer representatives and conditions that will not disadvantage must agree on who are the members their negotiating team. In the discussion of their respective negotiating teams. of guidelines, both parties may decide or The members of the negotiating team debate whether the negotiations will be are the only ones allowed to speak at open or closed to the public. An open the bargaining table. The inclusion of negotiation format allows members to women in the official negotiation team of observe and sit during the negotiations trade unions requires political decisions but only the negotiators can speak. and strength of women committees to The closed negotiation format remains assert their right to be represented at the quite prevalent in many traditional CB negotiating table. negotiations; however, in this format transparency and real-time participation • Research and justification of collective- of membership are sacrificed. bargaining provisions: After careful discussions and debates on union priorities • Negotiation preparations: The members in terms of collective-bargaining(CB) of the negotiation team need to prepare provisions, it is important to be able themselves mentally, physically and to defend such inclusion of negotiable psychologically. The negotiation process provisions in the CB negotiations. To be may be quick, roundabout, dragging able to defend and justify the demands or conflictual. The members need to be of the union, it is important to undertake prepared for any eventualities. Likewise, the comprehensive and sound research long whole process becomes stressful, especially before the negotiations begin. when the negotiation process involves finding solutions to conflicting proposals. • Drafting of union collective-bargaining proposals: This is more a process than• Actual negotiations: The actual actual writing. The drafting of CB proposals negotiations may comprise different needs to involve the union members and sections. Some sections may be more the proposals to gain membership support. difficult to reach agreements on than The collective bargaining proposals must be others. Mental preparation requires responsive to the needs of the members. patience, maintaining sharpness of intellect Drafting of CB proposals requires decisions and a positive disposition. Discussions on priority provisions, trade-off provisions, may be heated at times, convivial at other and non-negotiable provisions. times, and/or unmoving at yet other ones. Mental and psychological flexibility are • Collective-bargaining negotiation necessary to maintain grace under pressure, guidelines : Before the actual negotiations, professionalism, and democratic practices. both parties have to agree on the coverage,

Education and training Integrating women in union’s activities 19 Continuing workers’ education cultivates cohesion and shared perspectives within the trade union. Labour education strengthens trade union positions on labour policies and political-economic issues affecting workers. It develops and prepares trade unionists to defend and protect workers’ rights on the shopfloor, in their communities and at the national level. Common forms of gender education programmes include gender sensitivity training courses for men and women and education modules on reproductive health, gender orientation, and special women’s issues. In some unions, integrating and embedding women’s issues into the workers’ education programmes is the first step in instituting gender equality policies(e.g., anti-sexual harassment, revising union’s constitution and by-laws to include gender equality) in the workplace and within trade unions. Other trade-union education programmes include‘stories of change’ in their training courses, which focus on women’s key role in the historical development and achievements of the labour movement, the rise of women-led unions, and good practices in integrating gender equality into trade union work. Steps on how to make labour education and training more gender just: • Integrate gender equality into all trade union education curricula, such as on basic trade union orientation, political education, union leadership and administration, grievance handling training, campaign advocacy training, etc. • Review labour education programmes and revise them to integrate gender equality issues into the training and seminar modules. • Develop and implement a comprehensive gender equality trade union education programme. • Train more women educators to handle the education programmes of the trade union from designing the curriculum, preparing training materials and women as trainers themselves. Sample PowerPoint slides on women and unionism training module (in Tagalog with translation): Ano ang kalagayan ng kababaihan sa loob ng ating unyon? (What is the situation of women within the trade unions?)

20 Integrating women in union’s activities KALAGAYAN NG MGA PROGRAMA AT SERBISYO NG UNYON PARA SA KABABAIHAN (SITUATION OF UNION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR WOMEN) Hindi naisasama sa pagpaplano ang mga programa para sa mga babaeng kasapi ng union (Women are excluded in the programme planning for women union members) Walang badyet na nakalaan para sa mga gawaing pangkababaihan (No budget allotted for women programmes) Hindi nakasaad sa Constitution and By-Laws ang kahalagahan ng pormasyon ng kababaihan (The union CBL do not state the importance of organizing women) Kulang sa mga Gender-Specific provisions ang mga CBA (Most union CBAs lack gender-specific provisions) PANGUNAHING MTHIN NG NGA KABABAIHANG UNYONISTA (THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF WOMEN UNIONISTS) May Women Committee (Having women committees) Bahagi ng iba-ibang antas ng balangkas ng unyon; (To be included in all union structures) Ang ating programa ay suportado ng union (Women programmes are supported by the union) May gender-specific issues sa CBA (There are gender-specific provisions in the CBA) Ang mga batas ba partikular sa isyung pangkasarian ay itiñuturing na isyu ng unyon; at (Laws relating to gender are considered union issues) Nakapaloob sa lahat ng aspeto ng pag.uunyon ang isyu ng kababaihan (Inclusion in all union aspects the issues of women i.e. vision/ mission/goal/plans) Source: LEARN Module training on Women and Unionism(2022) To further integrate gender equality into education programmes, trade unions target the involvement of women in designing curricula, preparing training materials, and developing female trainers. In male-dominated industries such as construction, metal, and transportation, gender orientation seminars are integrated into the curricula through the advocacy of female trade unionists. Likewise, women design capacity-building training activities to build up women capacities in leadership, negotiation, organising, and/or project management skills. Education and training, combined with other interventions(e.g., participation in collective bargaining, campaigns, lobbying for legislative reforms), for women’s leadership development also form part of a union leadership succession plan. Making trade union research and publications more gender equal Trade union research pertains to studies and activities, such as project studies on labour issues and problems, data gathering for bargaining purposes, surveys, gender gap analysis, compilation of labour situation statistics, and many others. Research involves the re-examination of available data and generating new data to accumulate and expand knowledge beneficial for the purposes and interests of the union organisation. Union research is conducted for different purposes that contribute to the implementation of core union activities.

Integrating women in union’s activities 21 The purposes of union research include(but are not limited to) the following: • Update and expand knowledge on core union issues such as employment and unemployment, wages, benefits, labour laws, and women in the labour market; • Update and expand knowledge on industry profiles, processes and systems; • Gather data for collective bargaining negotiations; • Examine policies and best practices to justify new policies and union resolutions or decisions; • Analyse company situations and employment practices to expand union membership; and • Gather and analyse data to produce information, education and communication materials (IECs) for the organisation’s campaigns aimed at raising awareness of union issues within the company and the public at large. Findings and results of labour research may be disseminated and popularized into infographics through publications. Ensuring a gender-equal research programme • Research programming: This involves union research. It is important to normalise the planning of the content and themes the participation and representation of for research. It is important to ensure that women and other genders in the review union research projects include topics on and validation processes. They provide gender and mainstreaming of the gender different perspectives based on their lens in all topics of research. In making experiences and, in turn, acquire insights decisions on which research projects to on other labour issues. undertake, the inclusion of the gender dimension in the research design should• Research presentation and be normalized. dissemination: The presentation of the research(i.e., layout, illustrations, • Gender-segregated data: This refers to marketing blurb, etc.) in a way that is the inclusion of as much gender-segregated cognizant and sensitive to target women data as possible in all research projects. If and other genders as part of the audience. gender-segregated data is not available, The illustrations and layout need to the generation of primary data must ensure represent women and other genders, the element of gender-segregated data in and the styling to be reader-friendly the data collection process. especially for women who have no time to read due to multiple burdens. Research • Research review and validation: This dissemination should target women as involves the reviewing and validating of critical audience of the research through the research based on evidence, logical linkages with women’s organisations and argumentation, and academic rigor in all mass movements.

22 Integrating women in union’s activities Publications Publications include activities of knowledge dissemination and the production of IECs for public consumption. Trade union publications may be online or in print, written or broadcast, and can take various formats such as books, newsletters, infographics, monographs, videos, or podcasts. Suggested strategies in making union research and publications more gender just: 1. Integrate a gender lens in all aspects of research and publications using one or more of the following analytical frameworks in mainstreaming gendered perspectives: • Gender roles framework or the Harvard analytical framework – examines the gender roles, access/control of resources and influencing factors that cause the differences in gender roles. 9 • Gender roles and needs framework or the Moser framework – identifies specific gender needs in daily life to transform subordination and inequalities. 10 • Social relations framework – approaches gender analysis from the perspective of existing patriarchal relations along the levels of the state, market, community and family. 11 2. Equal representation of women in the research and publications work of the trade union. This means equal opportunity in recruitment of women researchers and specialists in information and communication technology. 3. Institutionalise a gender just review process on all research and publication outputs. This could include tapping internal and external gender specialists as reviewers. 4. Institutionalise gathering of gender-segregated data and profiles in all union research studies. 5. Provide resources equally to gender-related research and publications of the union. 9 For additional information, see: ING Info Sheet(2016_09) 2 Harvard Analytical Framework(Ludgate).pdf(agrilinks.org). 10 For more information, see: ING-Info-Sheet-2016_09-3-Moser-Triple-Role-Framework-Ludgate.pdf(illinois.edu). 11 For more information, see: Gender Analysis Framework- Social Rela| equilo.

Networking/campaign advocacy Integrating women in union’s activities 23 Building and strengthening linkages is integral to trade union work in developing solidarity across sectors and beyond geographical boundaries. Trade unionism has always been internationalist because its power rests on building solidarity through coalitions, increasing membership and linkages with other labour movements and civil society groups. In order to strengthen their societal power, it is important for trade unions to network and build coalitions by engaging with their immediate communities and relevant institutions in society. Principled coalition-building initiatives develop solidaristic relationships between trade unions and social movements. Trade union networking likewise facilitates the sharing of resources and the exchange of of capacities. Networking and coalition-building reach not only the national level but also the regional(Asia), international, and global levels. The sectors may not be limited to linkages with like-minded workers’ organisations, but also include trade unions across different ideological persuasions, as well as other civil society groups(i.e., human-rights groups, political parties, business groups, homeowners’ associations, LGBTQI+ groups, etc.), public agencies(i.e., schools, embassies, government agencies, etc.), international organisations(i.e., UN, ILO, etc.) and the media. Steps on how to make networking and campaign advocacy more gender just: • Build linkages with other civil society• Make networking opportunities groups, such as feminist organisations, accessible for women, consider planning human-rights groups, LGBTQI+ groups, events and programmes in a gender just migrants, and other groups within the environment. See Booklet 1 for more progressive and radical political movements. details and information. • Integrate gender issues into all campaign• Institutionalise the equal advocacy projects(i.e., press statements representation of women union leaders that include a gender lens in content and in national and international networking media tools). and coalition-building activities.

24 Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions 3. Sustaining efforts towards gender justice More often than not, gender equality programmes of trade unions are considered special activities or projects that are external to union issues and actions. However, that is a false perception. Women’s issues are workers’ issues, and promoting gender equality can be a decisive element in building powerful and innovative unions. How do you sustain gender just efforts in terms of policies, programmes, and structures? Sustaining changes for gender justices needs institutionalized processes to maintain policies, programmes and structures. The sustainability cycle can be of help as it proposes the integration of genderjustice programmes through gender audit and analysis, consultations, planning, implementation and monitoring within trade union activities, until it becomes endemic and normalised as a part of union functioning. GAP analysis/ Gender audit Source: Serrano and Viajar, 2022. 12 12 For more information, see https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/nepal/19249.pdf ati Monitor on Eva in luationg and P keholder Staconsultation Gen Action der Plan Implem of e G n A t

Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions 25 Working with the sustainability cycle Gender audit and gender analysis A gender audit and gender gap analysis are commonly used tools to assess how much the union has achieved in gender mainstreaming with the objective of creating a more gender just union. They examine the effectiveness of internal organisational systems and processes on gender mainstreaming, identify the gaps and challenges to achieving gender equality, and recommend strategies to address these gaps. Steps in carrying out a gender analysis 1. Identify gender gaps and ask them, if you want to know why Conduct a gender audit to identify gender people join or do not join the union. gaps. Assess your core activities and/or the A small sample taken from an informal actions of key departments using accurate group discussion, a questionnaire, or facefigures and up to date information. Search to-face chat with a small cross section of for gaps and differences by gender and members may help you to understand. pick out the significant ones. The sample Checklist below will help here. 4. Make a plan When you know what is happening and 2. Analysis why, you can work out and agree on your Understanding why there is a gender gap plan of action. Involve as many people as is can be tricky. Many different factors are practical in developing your plan. involved. There are differences between women and men in terms of: 5. Make gender mainstreaming work • Resources time, money or transport Four key factors have been identified as available crucial. These are: • Confidence which often comes with Leadership people at the top must lead the education and job status way to make gender mainstreaming work • Work and leisure responsibilities Clear responsibility of officials ensure at home everyone knows what to do, make a • Value attached to participation short checklist and distribute this to all in activities those involved • Rights and freedoms to do what we Building expertise and training discussion, decide is right practical help, understanding the benefits • Behaviour and priorities of those to the whole union from mainstreaming, already involved challenging negative attitudes Monitoring and reviewing your plan 3. Consult the membership membership involvement in collecting Figures may tell you what is happening but evidence of union performance, reviewing can rarely tell you why. You may need to go and making changes to the plan to your members and potential members where necessary

26 Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions Worksheet 1: Gender Gap Analysis • The Organisation’s Policy: Does the organisation have clear policy on all aspects of gender equality including policy to promote the integration of women? __________________________________________ __________________________________________• __________________________________________ • Use of funds: Is adequate funding provided to carry out all aspects of gender policy? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________• • Procedures, putting policy into practice: How is the gender policy put into practice, does it really guide all of your activities? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ • • Understanding needs: Are there significant gaps in your membership? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ How do you consult members? Do your consultation practices help you to understand the needs of women? __________________________________________ __________________________________________• • Decision-making: When making decisions or setting priorities, are women well represented? Do you routinely consider the impact of your activities on your women members? __________________________________________ __________________________________________• __________________________________________ • Monitoring information: Do you collect enough information about women and men to monitor activities by gender? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Do you consult monitoring figures when making decisions? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Do you regularly use this data to assess the effectiveness of your core activities? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Visibility: Can a woman’s voice be heard or seen in all your reports, speeches, meetings and publications? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Breaking down barriers: Do you fully understand the barriers, which deter women from joining, taking part, speaking out or competing for leadership in your union? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Leadership: Are men in leadership roles active in promoting change? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ How do you ensure men develop an understanding of gender issues? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Women’s structures: Are women’s structures and representatives of women members fully integrated into union decision making structures? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Targeting: Do you target your activities and services? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Are women challenged to get more involved? Do you recognise that positive action may be necessary if you want just results? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Source: ITUC-AP Achieving Gender Equality: A Trade Union Manual(2008), p.34.

Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions 27 Resources for reference: ITUC-AP Achieving Gender Equality: A Trade Union Manual(2008) Link: https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/manuel_ENGOK.pdf ILO Manual on Participatory Gender Audit(2012) Link: https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ dgreports/@gender/documents/publication/wcms_187411.pdf The Gender Audit Handbook: A Tool for Organisational Self-Assessment and Transformation(2010). Link: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Gender-AuditHandbook-2010-Copy.pdf Stakeholder consultations The results and recommendations of the gender audit and gap analysis need to be discussed among relevant stakeholders in the effort to build a holistic gender action plan to address the results of the audit. Stakeholders may be the trade union leadership and membership, union women’s committees, network organisations, and donor partners. Stakeholder consultations may take the form of focus-group discussions, workshops, caucuses and stakeholder conferences. Possible outputs of the stakeholder consultations include but are not limited to one or more of the following: • Policy resolutions and decision points in relation to the gender gap analysis report; • Recommendations or approval of the recommendations from the gender gap report; • Recommendations for the next steps after the gender gap analysis; and • Agreements and action points in response to the gender gap report. Gender action plan The gender action plan(GAP) is a roadmap advancing gender equality in the organisation involving its members, leadership and stakeholders. Coming up with a GAP involves setting key objectives, designing a workplan, identifying actions required to meet objectives, deciding how to evaluate the activity, producing a realistic timeframe, identifying resources(human, financial, and technical), finalising the plan and evaluating the results. Below is an example of a workplan.

Key Objective 1 Indicators Intermediate Objectives Worksheet 2: Creating a gender action plan Activities Expected outcomes Timeline Resources needed Person / Committee responsible 28 Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions

Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions 29 Resources for reference: UNICEF Gender Action Plan 2022–2025 Link: https://www.unicef.org/genderequality/gender-action-plan-2022-2025 Asian Development Bank Gender Action Plan Link: https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/ mld-54373-001-gap ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality Link: https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/ WCMS_856240/lang--en/index.htm Implementation of the gender action plan The implementation of the gender action plan needs to be agreed upon by all the stakeholders with an understanding of the changes needed along each step of the way. Stakeholders and implementers provide inputs with identified actions to meet the objectives. An implementation guide may be drafted by means of a stakeholder workshop that clarifies and identifies relationships between activities, expected outputs, and outcomes. Below is an example of a framework for implementation. Sample Framework in GAP implementation Input Action Output Outcomes Impact The resources include financial support, human resources, technical expertise, and other organisational assets, such as office space. Actions could include activities such as workshops, training sessions, research projects, meetings, conferences, and practicums. Outputs are the concrete results of activities, such as proceedings, training manuals, Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials, videos, publications, and more. Outcomes are results reflected in policy and/or structural changes, such as committee formation, resolutions on gender mainstreaming, and similar initiatives. Impacts are long-term results from the action plan, such as the institutionalisation of quota systems in the union CBL.

30 Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions Resources for reference: ILO Guidebook on Results-Based Management Link: https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ ed_mas/@program/documents/genericdocument/wcms_567503.pdf SIDA Guide to Results-Based Management Link: https://cdn.sida.se/publications/files/sida61994en-a-guide-to-results-basedmanagement-rbm-efficient-project-planning-with-the-aid-of-the-logical-frameworkapproach-lfa.pdf Monitoring and evaluation A framework for monitoring and evaluation(M&S) can be embedded within the GAP, but a separate M&E plan is useful especially for strategic actions plans, such as three- to five-year action plans. M&E processes may take place every six months to effectively monitor implementation and provide recommendations as needed to adjust the workplan. An example of an M&E report is provided below. Resources for reference: ILO Evaluation Manager Handbook Link: https://www.ungm.org/UNUser/Documents/ DownloadPublicDocument?docId=359768 Evaluation Toolbox Link: https://evaluationtoolbox.net.au/ ILO Policy Guidelines for Results-Based Evaluation Link: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_mas/---eval/ documents/publication/wcms_571339.pdf

Indicator Baseline Worksheet 3: M&E Reporting Plan Expected Outputs % of the target achieved Remarks Sustaining efforts towards gender justice in trade unions 31

References: Gausi, Tamara(2018). Special Report: Count Us In! Women Leading Change. Equal Times Special Report No. 11. Available at https://www.equaltimes.org/IMG/pdf/women_in_leadership_en_final.pdf International Labour Organization, 2018. Global Wage Report 2018/19: What Lies behind Gender Pay Gaps. Geneva: ILO. Available at https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/--dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_650553.pdf International Labour Organization, 2022. World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2022. Geneva: ILO. Available at https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/ documents/publication/wcms_834081.pdf. ILO, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and Gallup, 2022. Experiences of violence and harassment at work: A global first survey. Geneva: ILO. Available at https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/--dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_863095.pdf UN Women, 2020. From Insight to Action: Gender Equality in the Wake of COVID-19. New York: UN Women. Available at https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/ Sections/Library/Publications/2020/Gender-equality-in-the-wake-of-COVID-19-en.pdf World Economic Forum, 2023. Global Gender Gap Report 2023. Geneva: WEF. Available at https:// www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2023.pdf

About the authors Imprint Melisa R. Serrano a Professor at the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR). In recent years, her fields of research and publications have included collective representation of workers in non-standard and informal employment, trade unions and development, trade union renewal/ revitalisation, gender equality in trade unions, and labour’s alternative socio-economic paradigms. She completed her PhD in Labour Studies at the University of Milan, Italy. Verna Dinah Q. Viajar is currently an Assistant Professor at the UP SOLAIR. She earned her PhD from the University of Osnabrück, Germany, in 2019, followed by a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung in Berlin, Germany, from 2020 to 2022. With over two decades of experience, she has consulted with various Asian and Philippine trade unions and NGOs. From 2017 to 2019, she managed the Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining project at the ILO country office in Manila as a Project Manager. Her extensive involvement with Filipino and Asian labor movements has shaped her research and teaching interests in labor and migration studies, political economy, democratisation, and Southeast Asian politics and governance. © 2024 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nepal Office Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Ward 2, Sanepa P. O. Box: 11840 Kathmandu, Nepal Responsible: Natalia Figge| Director https://asia.fes.de/ FES Asia FES Asia FES Asia Designs: Kathaharu Productions Copyediting: Chris Dickson Proofreading: Bikram Timalsina To order publication: geha@fes.de Commercial use of all media published by FriedrichEbert-Stiftung(FES) is not permitted without the written consent of the FES. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) is the oldest of the German political foundations. The foundation is named after Friedrich Ebert, the first democratically elected president of Germany. FES is committed to the advancement of both socio-political and economic development in the spirit of social democracy, through civic education, research, and international cooperation. The FES Regional Office for Gender Justice coordinates FES’ work on gender justice in the Asia and Pacific region. Together with colleagues, feminists and partners we create spaces for exchange and mutual learning, and develop transformative strategies for a more gender just future. asia.fes.de