Lead organisers from national centres affiliated with ITUC and ITUC-Asia Pacific participated in three National Organising Academies (NOAs) held in Fiji on 20-21 September 2022, in the Philippines on 29-30 September 2022, and in Indonesia on 3-4 October 2022. The NOAs were aimed at building lead organisers’ skills and capacity in developing targeted strategic campaigns.
ITUC and ITUC-Asia Pacific believe that enhancing the capacity of lead organisers can significantly contribute to improving union density, building workers’ power, and advancing workers’ agenda.
The NOAs covered various topics, including health and safety as a recently recognised fundamental right at work by the International Labour Organization as well as organising platform workers. The content of the capacity building also included practical skills development, such as communicating workers’ stories and strategizing campaigns (including goal setting, measuring impacts, and putting workers issues at the centre of the campaign). Guest speakers contributed to the academies but facilitating the analysis of each country’s realities and providing relevant data and perspectives.
The approach was highly participative, allowing lead organisers to build on their earlier work, share their experiences, and develop strategies jointly. To make the NOAs useful, participants brought campaigns that they are currently working on, which they can further improve and monitor as they progress. A follow-up will be undertaken to provide support and measure success.
Carol Beaumont, Organising Coordinator, Global Organising Academy of International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Patuan Samosir, Senior Director, Organising and Projects, ITUC-Asia Pacific, facilitated the NOAs.