Jose Gatchalian - Former Dean and Professor School of Labor and Industrial Relations University of the Philippines (UP -SOLAIR), Ohilippines

The long-run viability and success of business ventures lie in their ability to sustain increasing profitability and competitiveness. In this regard, new Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies for quality and productivity improvement are rapidly gaining acceptance in the Asian region. A particularly effective approach centers on empowering work associates by instituting labor management cooperation (LMC) at the workplace. The strategic thrusts of the LMC are geared towards the enhancement of quality in people, in their work relations and consequently, in their work performance. Primarily geared towards the attainment of industrial harmony and stability in work relations, it also aims to transform companies into high -performing workplaces that can effectively cope with the problems and challenges of global competition. Practicable guidelines and insights, distilled from actual experience and documented “best practices” in the Philippines, Indonesia and Korea are now available for the successful settingup and operation of labor-management councils or committees, within the context of the corporate culture and the broader socio -cultural milieu. The paper intends to share and disseminate the concept and practice of labor-management cooperation in East and Southeast Asia, as a contribution to the global and continuing search for effective change management strategies for sustainable development.

workplace cooperation, labor-management committees, empowerment, quality and global competitiveness