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Friday, December 13, 2002
German program eyes better working conditions
A NEW German government-funded program is targeting small and medium enterprises to improve working conditions of laborers.
The Social Standards, Exchange of Experience in Southeast Asia and Practical Learning (Seal) is a simultaneous joint project of InWEnt GmbH and ECC International for the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam to be launched Friday at the Philippine Trade and Training Center.
The project aims to train SMEs as well as large corporations on how to set up a social management system which adheres to the global social standards of treating workers with the right wages and benefits and working environment.
Social Accountability (SA) 8000 is an international standard which encourages organizations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable workplaces practices.
Lydia Jebaur-Nirschi, Program leader of InWEnt, said in Friday's Social Accountability (SA) CEOs Briefing at the Apo View Hotel that there is a need for Philippine SMEs and corporations to have their businesses SA 8000 certified so they can effectively penetrate the global market.
"We want to prepare SMEs on how to cope with the international requirements especially when the globalization takes place," she said.
She said businesses that are able to set up a social management system would likely compete in the world trading. Laborers, she said, should be treated fairly so they can increase their productivity and produce products at the right standards.
"The world demands competitiveness. That is why Philippine businesses should be able to catch up fast on the global trends," she said.
Seal, she said, is a program that will address the need of business to be informed about the prohibition of child and forced labor, health and safety, freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, disciplinary practices, working hours, remuneration and managements systems. OCE
(December 13, 2002 issue)
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