Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

Rural Workers' Organisations Convention, 1975 (No. 141) - Philippines (Ratification: 1979)

The Committee notes the information in the Government's latest report which now indicates that the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) is registered with the Bureau of Labour Relations as a workers' organization and as such it enjoys all the rights and privileges of such organization under the Labour Code. In this respect, the Committee recalls the concern of the FFF over the incompatibility of section 241(c) and (p) (direct election by secret ballot of local and national officers) of Rule II(3)(d) (direct members must be organized into locals and chapters) of Book V of the Labour Code with Article 3 of the Convention. It further recalls that it has already considered that these legislative provisions are not compatible with the principles of freedom of association set forth in Article 3 given the particular difficulties facing rural workers' organizations in assembling their members to elect their union leaders by direct ballot and given the principle that each rural workers' organization, including the FFF, should be able to choose in full independence the organizational structure it deems most appropriate. The Government is therefore requested to indicate, in its next report, the measures taken or envisaged to amend these provisions so as to permit rural workers' organizations to elect their representatives and choose their organizational structure in full independence in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.