Philippines, US convene TIFA labor working group

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States have convened the first meeting of the labor working group under the US-Philippines Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).

In a statement, the USTR said the labor working group, which was formed in May, met for the first time on Dec. 12.

“US officials encouraged increased concrete actions and bilateral engagement to protect union organizers against violence and harassment, promote workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and facilitate dialogue among US and Philippine governments, worker organizations, and employer organizations to inform the objectives of the Labor Working Group,” the USTR said.

The labor working group will continue to meet in 2024 in support of its broader TIFA agenda and aims to reconvene in the first half of the new year.

The meeting was led by Josh Kagan, assistant US Trade Representative for Labor Affairs Josh Kagan and Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary for Labor Relations, Policy and International Affairs Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr.

The US Department of Labor’s Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs Thea Lee, and US Department of State’s Special Representative for International Labor Affairs Kelly Fay Rodríguez, also participated in the launch  of the Labor Working Group, which was established in May by President Biden and President Marcos during the latter’s visit to Washington.

According to the White House, the establishment of the labor group will provide an important opportunity for the US and the Philippines to work together on the implementation of internationally recognized labor rights, and to facilitate exchange and dialogue among US and Philippine governments and labor unions, as well as employer organizations.

The leaders welcome their countries’ plans to prioritize bilateral economic cooperation through the US-Philippines TIFA,” the White House said earlier.

Under the TIFA, the US and the Philippines have also signed agreements on customs administration and trade facilitation (2010), cooperation on stopping illegal transshipments of textiles and apparel (2006), and implementation of minimum access commitments by the Philippines (1998).

During her visit to the Philippines in April, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual highlighted the importance of the TIFA.

“They instructed their teams to engage the TIFA working groups and they look forward to holding the next meeting in the near future,” the USTR said.