YCW Philippines is a youth organization, part of the International Young Christian Workers’ movement, that is organizing young vulnerable workers in precarious working and living conditions in different regions of the Philippines. Through reflecting upon and analysing the living situations of the young workers and by raising their awareness on the mechanisms that lead to inequality, exclusion, poverty and discrimination in today’s society, YCW calls the youngsters to action to take up responsibility for other vulnerable young people and to bring about social change (see-judge-act). YCW Philippines currently represents hundreds of young workers in different professions (pedicab drivers, factory workers, sugarcane workers, miners, vendors, working students). They focus on raising the capacity of the young workers to improve their working conditions and living standards.
AHW is an alliance of labour unions in the health sector in the Philippines, representing more than 27,000 workers (doctors, nurses, other personnel in health facilities) in mainly public but also private hospitals and medical centres throughout the country. Since 1984, AHW stood at the forefront in the struggle for better labour rights, decent wages and access to social protection for health workers in the Philippines. The organisation also promotes the right of every Philippino – particularly the poor and disadvantaged – to quality health care. The focus of their actions is on unionizing and organizing the staff in the medical facilities, raising awareness of the public and the health workers on the need for quality healthcare for all Philippino’s, negotiating better working conditions with the hospital management, opposing the use of short-term labour contracts for health workers, and fighting privatization of public hospitals.
