Worker for global workers

GLOBAL TRADE UNION CHAMPION Añonuevo while giving a lecture on trade unionism in Geneva, Switzerland.

Carlos Antonio “Tos” Añonuevo, 49, flies to Sweden today. After a couple of days, he will be in Manila and back to Switzerland. He could be in 58 countries in any given time. He is not a jet-setter nor a businessman. Defining himself as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), Añonuevo works for the workers in a global context.

“My work is direct organizing and education work inside a trade union and being a project manager of a funding agency helping NGOs (nongovernment organizations), trade unions and cooperatives,” says Añonuevo.

As a student leader during the martial law years, Añonuevo is no stranger to oppression and injustice.

He joined Youth for the Advancement of Faith and Justice, a student organization of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), which had links with trade unions.

After studying Political Science at UST in 1986, he started working with the National Federation of Labor-Kilusang Mayo Uno and organized the unionization of government employees under the Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector.

“I left the labor movement in 1990 to work with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung as a project coordinator for its workers-related projects for 15 years,” says Añonuevo.

As the education secretary of the Building and Wood Workers’ International based in Geneva, Switzerland, since 2005, Añonuevo has been working at the global headquarters to develop, formulate and manage the organizing of projects including the World Cup, Olympics and labor schooling projects that cover around 80 countries which make him work closely with labor unions around the world.

Aside from Filipino workers, other nationalities will seek employment for the event. They experience the same problems that many OFWs experience—expensive recruitment fees, contract substitution, passport confiscation, unsafe working environment and additional work.

Añonuevo says that the interests of the working class can only be truly represented by the workers themselves and the trade union is the best organizational form to do this.

Educating the workers of their rights and sending these to the governments through unions are important to achieve the desired benefits.

Unemployment is the primary problem for almost 3 million Filipinos and also among the billions of people around the world. The workers are either outsourced, subcontracted, casual or contractual arrangements which result to job insecurity, no social benefits and paid below minimum wage, aside from unsafe working conditions.

“Job creation is the No. 1 need of every country. But it should not be ‘jobs for jobs’ sake’ as rights and decent wages should be ensured by both the government and the employers,” Añonuevo says.

“We deserve more in rights, in benefits, in this so-called economic miracle we are experiencing and a fair share of a better future,” he explains.

Working for labor unions has its ups and downs. Añonuevo cites problems in organizing unions to low memberships thus limiting representation specifically to countries where labor standards violations and exploitations are prevalent.

But as a seasoned development worker, these do not hinder his enthusiasm to work for workers. Instead, a challenge for him to formulate plans to better understand the plight of the workers.

“The global trade union is home of diversity and tolerance.”