Right to Self-Organization

1.What is Right to self-organization?

It is the right of workers and employees to form, join or assist unions, organizations or associations for purposes of
collective bargaining and negotiation and for mutual aid and protection. It also refers to the right to engage in
peaceful concerted activities or to participate in policy and decision-making processes affecting their rights and
benefits.

2.What is Workers’ Association?

A workers’ association means any group of workers, including ambulant, intermittent, self-employed, rural
workers and those without definite employers, organized for mutual aid and protection of its members or for any
legitimate purpose other than collective bargaining.

3.Who may join a labor organization or workers’ association?

The following may join a labor organization:

 a) all employees employed in commercial, industrial and agricultural enterprises and in religious,
charitable, medical or educational institutions whether operating for profit or not;
 b) government employees in the civil service;
 c) supervisory personnel;
 d) security personnel; and,
 e) aliens with valid working permit provided there are nationals of a country which grants the same or
similar rights to Filipino workers as certified by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

4.Is there a required number of workers in an establishment for a union to be formed?

None, provided that the required 20% membership of the bargaining unit is complied with.

5.How do labor organizations and workers’ associations become legitimate?

Federation, national union or industry or trade union center or an independent union and workers’ associations
become legitimate upon issuance of the certificate of registration by the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE).

6.What are the rights of legitimate labor organizations?

A legitimate labor organization shall have the following rights:

 to act as a representative of its members for collective bargaining;

 to be certified as the exclusive representative of all the employees in an appropriate collective bargaining
unit for collective bargaining;
 to be furnished by the employer, upon written request, with annual audited financial statements within
30 calendar days from date of receipt of the request, or within 60 calendar days before the expiration
of the existing CBA, or during the collective bargaining negotiation;
 to own property, real of personal, for the use and benefit of the labor organization and its members; and
 to sue and be sued in its registered name; and (6) to undertake all other activities to benefit the
organization and its members, and other projects not contrary to law.
7.How are locals/chapters of federation or workers association created?

A duly registered federation or national union may directly create a local/chapter by issuing a charter certificate
indicating the establishment of the local/chapter. a duly registered workers’ association may also charter any of its
braches upon filing of the documents prescribed in chartering and creation of a local/chapter.

8.When does a local\chapter acquire legal personality?

The local/chapter shall acquire legal personality only for purposes of filing a petition for certification election from
the date the duly registered federation or national union issued a charter certificate.

The local/chapter shall be entitled to all other rights and privileges of a legitimate labor organization upon the
submission of the following:

 charter certificate
 the names of the local/chapter’s officers, their addresses, and the principal office of the local/chapter;
and
 the chapter constitution and by-laws is the same as that of the federation, this fact shall be indicated
accordingly.
The Genuineness and appropriate execution of the supporting requirement shall be certified under oath by the
secretary or treasurer of the local/chapter and attested to by its president.

9.When may the Regional or BLR Director Inquire into the financial activities of a legitimate labor organization?

The regional or BLR Director may inquire into the financial activities of any legitimate labor organization and
examine their books of accounts and other records to determine whether they are complying with the law and the
organization’s constitution and by-laws upon the filing of a request or complaint for the conduct of an accounts
examination by any member of the labor organization, supported by the written consent of at least twenty (20%)
percent of its total membership ( Art. 274 of the Labor Code, as amended).

10.What are the grounds for the cancellation of union registration?

The grounds for the cancellation of union registration are:

a) misrepresentation, false statement or fraud in connection with the adoption or ratification of the constitution
and by-laws or amendments thereto, the minutes of ratification, and the list of members who took part in the
ratification;

b) misrepresentation, false statement or fraud in connection with the election of officers, minutes of election of
officers, and the list of voters; and

c) voluntary dissolution of the members. However, at least 2/3 of its general membership should vote to dissolve
the organization in a meeting called for that purpose and that the application to cancel the registration is
submitted by the board of the organization. It shall be attested to by the president.

11.Who may file an intra/inter union complaint or petition?

Any legitimate labor organization or its concerned member(s) may file a complaint or petition involving intra/inter-
union disputes or issues. When the issue involves the entire membership of the labor organization, the complaint
or petition shall be supported by at least thirty percent (30%) of its members.