1st UNI Apro MEI Committee Meeting

 

6 months after the launch of the newest sector in UNI Apro, the UNI Apro MEI held its first committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 4 March 2014.

The committee was impressed with the organizing efforts and results that the UNI MLC and its media-broadcasting unions have delivered over a short span of time. Looking at the outcomes of 5 new unions – Astro Production Employees Union, Astro Production Executive Union, Primeworks Executive Union, TV3 Executive Union, Al Hijrah Union – the UNI MLC and the anchor union, TV3 Employees Union led by the effective leadership of Bro. Shafie and Bro. Khairu respectively, is a clear testament to how national liaison council and affiliated unions are building new and strong union movement in the services-media sector.

As we were just days before the International Women’s Day on 8 March, gender equality and equal opportunities is high on the agenda for UNI Apro MEI committee both in ensuring equality in the workplaces as well as content of media are gender sensitive. Yoko Ogawa, UNI Apro Director for Equal Opportunities, Angelina Arguelles of NABU Philippines and Anita Bindu of UNIME Nepal emphasized that there is still some way to go before we can truly close the gender gap that exists in the labour market and to end discriminatory practices that still permeates. The Philippines public television together with the union PTVEA is drawing up an advertisement campaign to educate the general public about sexual harassment and is one concrete step with union-management gender committee are working together to put a positive message forward.    

The committee was also grateful to the contribution of LBC-NVK Belgiuim who was present at the meeting through its National Officer for ICTS and Media, Bro. Koen Dries. As affiliates in UNI Apro MEI are mostly enterprise level unions, they are limited in resources in bargaining and are exploring ways to be federations or extend the coverage of bargaining agreements onto other segment of the media workforce. The setting up of the media social fund – Mediarte – was clearly an extremely powerful instrument and platform that enforces union-employer federations to dialogue and cooperate while at the same time, provide relevant and valuable database for the union to develop policies, campaigns and services for its potential membership.

Health and safety is a major priority issue for the UNI Apro MEI affiliates, and an area of cooperation with the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). Both UNI Apro MEI and the ABU rated the safety and health of those who work in the news department as a common concern in a region that is plagued with conflicts and disaster. Yet, very few broadcasters have in place rigorous health and safety policies/ frameworks or even set up a H&S committee to dwell into this issue. As such, on 5 March 2014, the ABU-UNI Apro MEI convene a joint seminar to bring into awareness the need for broadcasters to initiate hazard-risk management system and were introduced what are available in Radio New Zealand, Australia Broadcasting Corporation and NHK Japan.  The participants of the seminar request in-depth national and regional training on specific aspects on H&S.

We are grateful for Bro. Ian Bull’s contribution to moderate and facilitate the seminar.

Bro. Ang Wah Lai, Vice President of UNI Apro MEI Committee chaired the meeting on 4 March 2014.