Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The ASEAN Trade Union Council (ATUC) on 9 December 2015 called on the ASEAN, governments of Member States, ASEAN secretariat, and stakeholders to consider “A Framework for ASEAN Labor Standards and Emerging Principles” in compliance with the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Decent Work.

The ATUC called further for the ASEAN to ensure and strengthen tripartism and stakeholder participation, particularly of the ATUC as regional trade union organization, in the development, adoption, and implementation of sector work plans in relation to the ASEAN 2025, “a roadmap for ASEAN to realise further consolidation, integration and stronger cohesiveness as a Community”.

The ATUC recommendations on ASEAN Minimum Labor Standards were presented by ATUC General Secretary Brother Ruben Torres. ATUC President Brother Mohd Khalid Bin Atan officially handed over the ATUC statement on ASEAN Minimum Labor Standards to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) representative, Mr. Andika Wahab of AICHR Malaysia.

Twenty-two representatives of 16 ATUC affiliates in eight ASEAN countries, including participants from the ITUC-AP, LO-FTF Council, ASEAN secretariat and AICHR participated in the meeting.

The LO-FTF Council, the Danish trade union cooperation council, through the International Trade Union Confederation-Asia Pacific (ITUC-AP), supported the activity.