1. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
PROGRAMME, 28 – 30 August 2013
As of 15 August 2013
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Morning Session
Chairperson: Christopher Warren
08.30 Registration of Participants
09.00 Welcome Address
Christopher Ng, UNI Apro Regional Secretary
09.15 Opening Address
Tomoyasu Kato, UNI Apro President
09.30 Keynote Address
Johannes Studinger, Head of UNI MEI
09.45 Thematic Address
Spotlight on Thailand: Thailand Media Reform in the Digital Economy
Dr Anak Preamwongsaynee
Chief Executive Officer, MCOT Broadcasting Co.
10.00 Group Photo
Morning Coffee/ Tea Reception
10.30 Adoption of Agenda
Adoption of Conference Standing Orders
Elections to the Credential Committee
Elections to the Resolutions Committee
Introducing the discussion paper on:
- Broadcasting Industry Landscape in Asia Pacific
11.00 Breaking Through, Making a Change - Organizing in Asia Pacific,
Organizing in a Digital Economy
The structural and technological changes in the media and creative industries
and the increase of freelance and contractual employment have triggered
profound changes in the working environment and have made organizing
even more important and challenging. Unity and collective action is the only
way of protecting the professional well-being and the livelihood of media and
entertainment workers.
UNI MEI’s affiliates in the Apro region have developed and will continue to
develop organizing campaigns.

2. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme 2/8
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
This session will highlight organizing initiatives that have been developed and
undertaken by UNI MEI affiliates in the Apro region. Conference will discuss
strategy for the development of cooperation among affiliates and actions
within the framework of UNI as well as cooperation with our sister
organisations in the sector, IFJ, FIA and FIM.
- Mohammad Khairuzzaman, TV3 Malaysia Employees Union
- Ellen Cheng Lai Yee, Hong Kong Disneyland Cast Members’ Union
- Raju Prasad Timlsina, Union of Media Workers Nepal
12.30 Lunch
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Afternoon session
Chairperson: Ang Wah Lai
14.00 Respect Dignity, Respect Rights, Respect Equality
Working conditions and status of employment, particularly in film production
but also increasingly in broadcasting, has been characterized by increasing
precariousness such as freelance, contract/ project based or as independent
contractors.
UNI Apro MEI affiliates have responded to these threats to the union
movement in a number of ways. Conference will discuss way forward for
affiliates and UNI Apro MEI to raising standards and right throughout the
region:
 In ensuring equality for all workers, especially women workers, so that
needs of the diverse workforce are taken into account and addressed;
 Bringing about regulatory changes for better media policies and media
governance;
 Running campaigns to address insecure work arrangements
- George Collins, NZ Engineering Printing & Manufacturing Union New
Zealand
- Angeline Arguelles, National Alliance of Broadcasting Unions Philippines
- Anita Bindu, Union of Media Workers Nepal
- Nam Sang Seok, National Union of Media Workers South Korea
15.30 Coffee break
16.00 Report from Credentials Committee
Adoption of UNI Apro MEI Rules
Report on UNI MEI Activities in Apro region
Adoption of UNI Apro MEI Breaking Through Strategic Plan, September 2013-
2017
17.30 End of day 1
19.00 Solidarity dinner at Indra Regent Hotel, Sala Thai Restaurant
(those staying at Amari Watergate Hotel, meet at Amari hotel lobby at 645pm)

3. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme 3/8
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Morning session
Chairperson: Angeline Arguelles
09.00 Interactive Forum with Asia Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU)
Ms. Olya Booyar
Editor, ABU News and Senior Project Manager, ABU TV Market
The cooperation between ABU and UNI Apro formally started in April 2012
with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. It reflects the joint
commitment of both organisations to promote dialogue between employers
and unions and to develop cooperation on issue of joint concern such as
media governance, health and safety, and equality at regional level. The
presentation of Olya and subsequent discussion with participants will allow for
all affiliates to get to know ABU better and to exchange with Olya over the
prospects of the cooperation between ABU and UNI Apro.
10.00 Coffee break
10.30 Towards International Health and Safety Standards for Media,
Entertainment & Arts
In the age of international mobility of broadcasting and film production, there is
a need for international cooperation among trade unions on ensuring health
and safety standards across borders. At present, there is a lack on common
standards agreed between international employers’ association and trade
unions on health and safety in film production and broadcasting.
This session will assess the situation in these two sectors and discuss how
UNI Apro MEI and UNI MEI Global Union can facilitate the work of affiliates
towards raising standards and develop cooperation with employers to this end
in the region and internationally.
- Christopher Warren, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance Australia
- Opender Chanana, Association of Cine & Television Art Directors and
Costume Designers; Film Studio & Allied Mazdoor Union; Film Writers
Association India
- Nipporo Japan
- Olya Booyar, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union
12.00 Lunch break

4. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme 4/8
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Afternoon session
Chairperson: Masatoshi Nakamura
13.00 Building Power for Collective Bargaining
Collective bargaining remains the cornerstone of all trade unions in ensuring a
fairer gain and redistribution of income in the growth of the business and the
economy.
This session will provide UNI Apro MEI and its affiliates with a platform to
learn and exchange on collective bargaining and share exchange on best
practices and identify common issues and challenges. This session also
would discuss what tools UNI Apro MEI should develop to support its affiliates’
exchange on collective bargaining in the region as well as explore the
opportunity for affiliates who have less experience in collective bargaining and
agreements through the exchange with members with long standing CB
history and mature agreements to help each other in this area
- Ang Wah Lai, Singapore Union of Broadcasting Employees
- Minpororen Japan
- Gopal Prasad Dahal, Nepal Television Employees’ Association
14.30 Discussion and Vote on Resolutions
Elections of UNI Apro MEI Committee, 2013-2017
Date and venue of next meeting
Any other matters
Closing
15.00 End of Day 2
15.30 Depart for visit to MCOT Broadcasting Company

5. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme 5/8
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
UNI Apro
Commerce, Finance, ICTS, Post & Logistics, Graphical & Packaging, Media,
Entertainment & Arts Sectors Conference
28 August - 1 September 2013, Bangkok Thailand
Including You - A Social Contract for an Inclusive Asia and Pacific
JOINT SESSION PROGRAM (30th August 2013)
09.00 am Welcome Remarks by Mr. Christopher Ng,
UNI Apro Regional Secretary
09.05 am - 10.25 am Key Note Address including introduction to the
Bangladesh Accord
Mr. Philip Jennings, UNI General Secretary
10.30 am - 11.30 am: INAUGURAL SESSI0N
Welcome Remarks by: Ms. Nilamol Montreekanon, President of UNI
TLC Thailand
Presidential Address by: Mr. Tomayasu Kato, UNI Apro President
Fraternal Greetings by: Mr. Philip Jennings, UNI General Secretary
Inaugural Address by: HE Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Vote of Thanks by: Mr. Hiroshi Usuki, UNI Apro Deputy President
(The participants will assemble for a group photo with HE the Deputy Prime
Minister of Thailand)
11.30 am - 12.30 pm: UNI Apro Executive Committee Meeting
11.30 am - 01.00 pm: Lunch
01.00 pm - 02.30 pm: Breaking Through for Women's Access to
Decent Work
Panel Moderator: Ms. Therese Bryant, SDA Australia
Panel Members: Ms. Maxine Gay, First Union, New Zealand
Ms. Mizuho Wada, UA ZENSEN, Japan
Ms. Nora Kang, DBSSU, Singapore
Ms. Michelle Belino, President UNI Apro Youth
Committee
Ms. Anjali Bedekar, Co-ordinator UNI ILC India

6. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme 6/8
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
The main objective of this session is to discuss and debate the best practices
to facilitate and ensure women's access to decent work. The key discussion
points must include:
a) Protecting women's rights in informal and formal economies
b) Increasing women's economic participation and opportunities
c) Organising and Empowering Women
The Moderator welcomes participants, introduce the panellists and theme
and explain arrangements for discussion. Each panel will be asked to share
their perspective on the two points (five minutes each) to be followed by
interactive discussions with the audience. The session will conclude with the
adoption of a motion on the theme to be introduced by Yoko Ogawa, UNI
Apro Director for Equal Opportunity.
02.30 pm - 03.00 pm: Tea Break
03.00 pm – 05.30 pm: Interactive Discussions
Including You - A Social Contract for an Inclusive
Asia and Pacific
Moderator: Prof Rene E Ofreneo, University of Philippines
Discussants: Mr. Yasunobu Aihara, Chairperson of UNI LC
Japan
Mr. John West, Executive Director, Asian
Century Institute
Representative of Ministry of Labour Thailand
(tbc)
Mr. Shamsuddin Bardan, Executive Director,
Malaysian Employers' Federation, Malaysia
Mr. Joseph De Bruyn, National Secretary, SDA
Australia and UNI President
Dr. Pravin Sinha, Secretary General, ILERA India
Mr. Luke Hee, General Secretary, SIEU Singapore
Mr. Robert Reid, General Secretary, First Union,
New Zealand
Ms. Sarah Deloraya, PALSON Philippines
Informalisation of employment has become a widespread phenomenon in
Asia and the rest of the world due to the realities of competition and changing
technology under globalization. Inequality is most vividly reflected in the
“informalization” process that has swept Asia’s labour market. Majority who
cannot find jobs in the organized sector of the economy end up in the
unprotected “informal sector”, 65 per cent Asia-wide per estimate of the
International Labour Organization (ILO). On the other hand, more and more
of the workers in the formal labour market are hired as non-regulars: casuals,

7. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme 7/8
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
“trainees”, probationaries and agency/project/dispatched workers, all of
whom have limited job security and short-term employment contracts.
Living on the margins, the informals and the non-regular workers are also
denied a voice in industry and in society. In some countries, unionism and the
enforcement of labour standards are even curtailed by governments and
employers, which claim that unions and protective labour laws subvert
industry competitiveness under globalization. This has generated equally
widespread resentment within the ranks of the trade union movement, which
blames employment casualization as the primary cause for the downward
spiral of workers’ job security, benefits and entitlements.
The standard policy response of governments and even by the International
Labour Organization is to have some kind of a policy balance -- to recognize
the requirement of business to have personnel and organizational flexibility in
order to remain competitive, on one hand, and to recognize as well the
requirements of workers for decent job, income and union security. But how
exactly does one achieve such a balance, oftentimes equated to the phrase
“flexicurity” in the labour market?
One approach undertaken by UNI Global and UNI Apro is to support the
propagation of the ILO’s Convention 181 and the accompanying ILO
Recommendation 188 as well as to hold dialogue with the concerned
corporations and the service contracting industry on responsible contracting.
The latter means respect for basic rights of all workers, including their right to
tenure and unionism, and a curb on abuses committed in the name of global
competitiveness.
The main objectives of this interactive sessions is to discuss and debate on
ways and means to promote inclusive and sustainable growth by balancing
the business competitiveness challenges and the workers need for security of
sustainable income and decent jobs. The key points of discussions must
include:
a) Integrating growth, employment and social protection.
b) Addressing social and gender inequities.
c) Improving employability of workforce.
d) Effective active labour market policies and modern, adequate and
sustainable social protection system.
e) Encouraging and implementing business practices that respect human
rights standards as outlined in the UN Guiding Principles on Business
and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational
Enterprises.
f) Involvement of social partners, through real, constructive and
continuous social dialogue to develop agreed principles and
mechanism to promote inclusive and sustainable growth by balancing
the business competitiveness challenges and the workers need for
security of sustainable income and decent jobs.

8. UNI Apro MEI Founding Conference – Programme 8/8
UNIAproMEIFoundingConference
Bangkok,28-30August2013
g) Organising and Empowering Trade Unions
Dialogue Flow
The Moderator welcomes participants, introduce the panellists and theme
and explain arrangement for discussion. The session will start with the
presentation of a background report commissioned by UNI Apro by Dr. Melisa
R. Serrano of the University of Philippines. Each panel members will be asked
to share their perspectives on the theme (maximum seven minutes each) to
be followed by interactive discussions with the audience. The Moderator will
wind up the discussions by summarising the key points of agreement and
disagreement and outline of the way forward to deal with the challenges.
The session will conclude with the adoption of a Statement on the theme to
be introduced by Christopher Ng, UNI Apro Regional Secretary.
05.30 pm - 06.00 pm Concluding session
Concluding Remarks by UNI Apro President
07.30 pm - 10.00 pm: Dinner hosted by UNI Apro and UNI TLC Thailand