The Associated Labor Unions – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines
Whereas, Article II, Section 14, of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that “The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men;”
Whereas, there are many more women specific and related national and local instruments, mechanisms and structures that protect women’s rights and that promote their empowerment and full development;
Whereas, Article XVIII of the ALU-TUCP Constitution, as Amended in 2002 states “The Union shall have (a) Committee on Women (b) Committee on Youth which are responsible to their respective sectors in the membership of the organization. The rules and structures of both committees shall be approved by the National Executive Board upon recommendation of the National Executive Officials. The elected Committee Chairpersons shall be ex-officio members of the National Executive Board;”
Whereas, as an affiliate of global organizations and a national labor center with mandate on gender equality, ALU-TUCP have obligations to participate or take initiatives and make reports on compliance or actions taken relative to relevant Conventions, Declarations, Resolutions and Action Plans on Women;
Whereas, the Union needs to build a common bond, protect the rights, and support the concerns of its women local members and personnel, as well as women workers and organizations in general;
Whereas, the Committee on Women is duty-bound to support ALU – TUCP in the attainment of its purposes as embodied in its Constitution and By-Laws and in its continuing efforts to respond to the basic, growing or changing needs and aspirations of
workers and labor unions in general;
Now, therefore, the following rules and structure are hereby issued:
Whereas, there are many more women specific and related national and local instruments, mechanisms and structures that protect women’s rights and that promote their empowerment and full development;
Whereas, Article XVIII of the ALU-TUCP Constitution, as Amended in 2002 states “The Union shall have (a) Committee on Women (b) Committee on Youth which are responsible to their respective sectors in the membership of the organization. The rules and structures of both committees shall be approved by the National Executive Board upon recommendation of the National Executive Officials. The elected Committee Chairpersons shall be ex-officio members of the National Executive Board;”
Whereas, as an affiliate of global organizations and a national labor center with mandate on gender equality, ALU-TUCP have obligations to participate or take initiatives and make reports on compliance or actions taken relative to relevant Conventions, Declarations, Resolutions and Action Plans on Women;
Whereas, the Union needs to build a common bond, protect the rights, and support the concerns of its women local members and personnel, as well as women workers and organizations in general;
Whereas, the Committee on Women is duty-bound to support ALU – TUCP in the attainment of its purposes as embodied in its Constitution and By-Laws and in its continuing efforts to respond to the basic, growing or changing needs and aspirations of
workers and labor unions in general;
Now, therefore, the following rules and structure are hereby issued:
1. As to local unions:
a. Automatic membership.
All ALU-TUCP women local union officers and members automatically become members of the ALU-TUCP Committee on Women.
b. Local Union Committee on Women Chair.
Each member local union shall elect or appoint its local union committee on women chair. She will be officially endorsed
by the local union president to the ALU-TUCP Area/Regional Vice President thru the Regional Committee on Women Secretary for a seat in the ALU-TUCP Regional Committee on Women.
by the local union president to the ALU-TUCP Area/Regional Vice President thru the Regional Committee on Women Secretary for a seat in the ALU-TUCP Regional Committee on Women.
c. Gender equality advocate.
A local union without female members may send a male union officer to the Regional Committee on Women to become a gender equality advocate otherwise its seat in the Regional Committee on Women shall remain vacant until the local union has been able to recruit female union members and elected or appointed its local union committee on women chair.
d. Regional Committee on Women Chair and Vice-Chair.
Local union committee on women chairs shall elect from among them, their Regional Committee on Women Chair and Vice-Chair.
The elected Regional Committee on Women Chair shall be an ex-officio member of the ALU-TUCP Regional Council.
The elected Regional Committee on Women Chair shall be an ex-officio member of the ALU-TUCP Regional Council.
e. Right to speak and/or right to vote and be voted upon.
Dues paying members are entitled to vote on ALU-TUCP Committee on Women concerns and issues. Non- dues paying members have the right to speak but not the right to vote. No member may be qualified as candidate for appointive and elective positions in the Committee on Women unless said member comes from a local union in good standing.
f. Members in good standing.
Article VIII of ALU Constitution and By-Laws defines what and when a member is in good standing: if said member (1) is not in arrears in the payment of dues and other assessments for three (3) months, (b) has not been suspended from membership in the Union on such ground by any of the National Executive Officials or by any officer of the Union expressly empowered by
them, and (c) has likewise not been charged with conduct or commission of acts inimical to the interest of the Union and been found guilty thereof. Any member charged and found guilty of conduct or commission of acts inimical to the interest of the Union is not considered a member in good standing during the pendency of an appeal, for purposes of nomination to appointive and elective positions in the Committee.
them, and (c) has likewise not been charged with conduct or commission of acts inimical to the interest of the Union and been found guilty thereof. Any member charged and found guilty of conduct or commission of acts inimical to the interest of the Union is not considered a member in good standing during the pendency of an appeal, for purposes of nomination to appointive and elective positions in the Committee.
g. Seat in the National Committee on Women.
The Regional Committee on Women Chair shall be officially endorsed by the ALU-TUCP Area/Regional Vice President to
the National Executive Officials thru the National Committee on Women Secretary General for a seat in the National Committee on Women.
the National Executive Officials thru the National Committee on Women Secretary General for a seat in the National Committee on Women.
h. Eligibility to be elected as National Committee on Women Chairperson.
Regional Committee Chairs are eligible to be nominated and elected as Chairperson of the National Committee on Women.
i. Elections shall be done by secret ballot.
j. Automatic dismemberment.
Anyone who resigns, retires or is terminated from the service of her company or who ceases to be a member of her local union or whose local union is no longer the recognized or certified exclusive bargaining agent of the workers in her company or whose local union disaffiliates from ALU-TUCP, shall automatically lose her and her local union’s membership and/or seat in the ALU-
TUCP Committee on Women.
TUCP Committee on Women.
2. As to the federation:
a. Each region will have federation officials/staff as Regional Secretary and Treasurer.
b. The two highest ranking women federation officials/staff of the Regional Office shall be the Regional Committee on Women Secretary and Treasurer, unless anyone defers to the woman Union official or staff next in line. This recognizes that with their authority and influence and their assumed or demonstrated capability and integrity, leading other women federation staff in the region and coordination work are expected to be productive and effective.
c. The two highest-ranking women federation officials/staff of the ALU-TUCP National Office shall be the National Committee on Women Secretary General and National Treasurer to complement the ALU-TUCP National Committee on Women Chairperson and Regional Representatives who come from local unions, unless anyone defers to the woman Union official or staff next in line. Again, as in 2.b, such recognizes that with authority and influence vested in these Union officials/staff and their assumed or demonstrated capability and integrity, leading all of the Union’s women staff and national coordination work are expected to be productive and effective.
d. Automatic dismemberment. Anyone who resigns, retires or is terminated from the service or who ceases to be a regular employee of the Union shall automatically lose her membership and/or seat in the ALU-TUCP Committee on Women.
b. The two highest ranking women federation officials/staff of the Regional Office shall be the Regional Committee on Women Secretary and Treasurer, unless anyone defers to the woman Union official or staff next in line. This recognizes that with their authority and influence and their assumed or demonstrated capability and integrity, leading other women federation staff in the region and coordination work are expected to be productive and effective.
c. The two highest-ranking women federation officials/staff of the ALU-TUCP National Office shall be the National Committee on Women Secretary General and National Treasurer to complement the ALU-TUCP National Committee on Women Chairperson and Regional Representatives who come from local unions, unless anyone defers to the woman Union official or staff next in line. Again, as in 2.b, such recognizes that with authority and influence vested in these Union officials/staff and their assumed or demonstrated capability and integrity, leading all of the Union’s women staff and national coordination work are expected to be productive and effective.
d. Automatic dismemberment. Anyone who resigns, retires or is terminated from the service or who ceases to be a regular employee of the Union shall automatically lose her membership and/or seat in the ALU-TUCP Committee on Women.
3. National Officers of the ALU – TUCP Committee on Women
a. National Officers. The following are the national officers of the ALU-TUCP Committee on Women:
Four (4) Regional Representatives from whom the National Chairperson will be elected
One (1) Secretary General
One (1) National Treasurer
b. Temporal appointive positions. The Committee on Women officers may create or dissolve appointive positions in the Committee depending on its needs, thrusts and programs and shall inform the NEOs regarding the same.
c. Confirmation of Officers. The National Officers of the Committee on Women shall be approved by the NEOs.
d. Duties and responsibilities. The National Committee on Women shall be the policy-making body on gender concerns of the Union. The detailed duties and responsibilities of the ALU-TUCP Committee on Women and its officers shall be drafted by the Committee on Women Officers and approved by the NEOs. However, they shall be primarily and in general, responsible for the (1)
formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, rules and regulations, programs and activities for the promotion of women’s welfare and gender equality in trade unions, workplaces and the society; (2) representation of the Union’s women trade unionists’ concerns in decision- making bodies, programs or activities whenever appropriate and approved by
the NEOs or their authorized representatives; (3) building of network or coalition with like-minded women’s organizations. They shall also support expansion of women membership in the Union to include precarious, atypical, migrant, informal and other craft workers.
e. General administrative arrangement. The National Committee on Women shall meet at least once a year. The Chair shall preside over such meeting/s. When not in session, the Secretary General who comes from ALU-TUCP National
Office shall be responsible for the over-all day to day concerns of the Committee on Women. The National Committee on Women reports directly to the NEOs. The Regional Committee on Women shall implement, monitor and evaluate policies and programs agreed on at the National Committee on Women.
f. Term of Office. The Officers shall serve the Committee on Women for five (5) years or until their successors have gone through the approved Committee on Women procedures and have been confirmed by the NEOs. The holding of the same office shall be limited to three (3) consecutive terms.
Four (4) Regional Representatives from whom the National Chairperson will be elected
One (1) Secretary General
One (1) National Treasurer
b. Temporal appointive positions. The Committee on Women officers may create or dissolve appointive positions in the Committee depending on its needs, thrusts and programs and shall inform the NEOs regarding the same.
c. Confirmation of Officers. The National Officers of the Committee on Women shall be approved by the NEOs.
d. Duties and responsibilities. The National Committee on Women shall be the policy-making body on gender concerns of the Union. The detailed duties and responsibilities of the ALU-TUCP Committee on Women and its officers shall be drafted by the Committee on Women Officers and approved by the NEOs. However, they shall be primarily and in general, responsible for the (1)
formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, rules and regulations, programs and activities for the promotion of women’s welfare and gender equality in trade unions, workplaces and the society; (2) representation of the Union’s women trade unionists’ concerns in decision- making bodies, programs or activities whenever appropriate and approved by
the NEOs or their authorized representatives; (3) building of network or coalition with like-minded women’s organizations. They shall also support expansion of women membership in the Union to include precarious, atypical, migrant, informal and other craft workers.
e. General administrative arrangement. The National Committee on Women shall meet at least once a year. The Chair shall preside over such meeting/s. When not in session, the Secretary General who comes from ALU-TUCP National
Office shall be responsible for the over-all day to day concerns of the Committee on Women. The National Committee on Women reports directly to the NEOs. The Regional Committee on Women shall implement, monitor and evaluate policies and programs agreed on at the National Committee on Women.
f. Term of Office. The Officers shall serve the Committee on Women for five (5) years or until their successors have gone through the approved Committee on Women procedures and have been confirmed by the NEOs. The holding of the same office shall be limited to three (3) consecutive terms.
4. Funding for programs and activities of the Committee on Women
a. The Union shall provide adequate support for the attainment of the objectives for which the Committee on Women was created
b. The local unions shall be encouraged to allocate resources for the same.
c. The Committee on Women may conduct activities that will financially support its programs.
b. The local unions shall be encouraged to allocate resources for the same.
c. The Committee on Women may conduct activities that will financially support its programs.