The Forum of Unions in Zone Enterprises (FUZE) was
formed in November 1997 as a loose group of officers and organizers of
unions in economic zones (export processing zones).
Initially composed of 24 enterprise-based unions and their organizers,
FUZE aims to be the fuse that would spark intensive organizing of unions
in the ecozones and respond to the unique challenges and peculiar needs of
workers in the ecozones. [Women comprise around 70-80% of workers in the
ecozones are women, mostly between the ages of 18 and 25, mostly young.]
FUZE has gone a long way since then.
Today, barely four years since its inception, membership in FUZE has
expanded to 45 (12,645 individual members). All these 45 union
organizations are accredited and duly recognized by the employers as
"exclusive collective bargaining agents" in the organized enterprises.
FUZE enjoys the reputation as the biggest grouping of workers in the
zones, areas traditionally known for their anti-union stance. All of
FUZE’s 45 accredited unions passed through the wringer: most accreditation
campaigns took longer than one year, others over two years. Practically
all unions had their officers dismissed, harassed, intimidated or
discriminated against. Scores of other registered unions are grinding
through the (long) process of obtaining accreditation and victimized by
employer anti-union activities.
FUZE does other activities to complement its organizing activities.
Under the DAW (Delivery of Justice for Disadvantaged) Project, FUZE works
with various partner organizations engaged in advocacy and services on
domestic violence, sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, and
abuse of women migrant labor.
Among FUZE accomplishments in this Project: four area coalitions (Bataan,
Cavite, Laguna, Subic) involving civil society and local government
agencies /units (trade unions, informal sector organizations, women’s
groups, youth groups, NGOs, PNP (police), PEZA (economic zones), PESOs
(employment services), PAOs (public attorneys), FIDA (women lawyers), DSWD
(social welfare), DOLE (labor and employment), DILG (local government),
Sanggunians (provincial boards, municipal councils), barangay captains)
working on women’s issues, conscienticized women’s desks in the police and
local governments, local ordinances against domestic violence, CODIs
(committee on decorum and investigation) addressing sexual harassment in
private enterprises and local governments, collective agreements with
provisions against sexual harassment, a FUZE defense fund for victims.
In addition, FUZE is engaged in the SJP (Solidarity for Justice Project)
seeking improvements in the general justice system and the extended
justice system (quasi-judicial agencies handling labor and other issues)
and in improving governance and curbing corruption. Notable FUZE
contributions: amendments to the Labor Code, amendments to the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Labor Code, amendments to
procedures in union registration and accreditation, the beginnings of CPUs
(corruption prevention units), xx.
FUZE is also the main group implementing the Sweatshops (Asserting
Workers’ Rights in Philippine Sweatshops) Project seeking to verify
compliance of MNCs (multinational corporations), their contractors,
subcontractors, and suppliers, even homeworkers, with ILO core standards,
RAPP (responsible apparel production principles), corporate codes of
conduct, and national laws and regulations. FUZE works with other
partners, including the informal sector, women’s groups, youth groups, and
other advocacy groups. Initial groundwork undertaken by FUZE indicates
that virtually no MNCs nor their affiliates have complied with
international and national labor standards. FUZE takes credit for being
the first in the country to develop a SVC (Sweatshops Verification
Checklist), prepared and used by its monitors.
All three Projects receive support from the USAID (US Agency for
International Development) through the Solidarity Center (American Center
for International Labor Solidarity) and TUCP (Trade Union Congress of the
Philippines).
