Labor Education and Research Network

The Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN) is an NGO or non-governmentorganization in the Philippines that provides various services primarily toworkers, both from the private and public sectors or formal and informallabor. Its core programs are education (trade union, political and otherpopular or "liberative" education), research, publications, women or gender,
solidarity and networking.

LEARN was established in October 1986 or about eight months after thehistoric and world renowned Edsa People Power "Revolution" or Edsa 1, whichousted the 20-year Marcos dictatorship. Its founders were leaders ofdifferent trade unions outside the then mainstream labor organizations andmajor political or ideological blocs. They called for genuine workers'empowerment by developing an alternative workers' education that blends theeconomic, political and sociocultural struggles of the workers; propagatesan alternative socialist system; and is guided by the basic principles oftrade union solidarity, democracy, self-reliance and autonomy.

LEARN stresses the principal role of workers' education to raise workers'consciousness of their conditions, rights and capabilities to change thatcondition. LEARN affirms that labor education is an integral component ofstrengthening workers solidarity in trade unions, civil society groups andwith other social movements. LEARN upholds the belief that labor organizingand education are inseparable and must continuously be developed, especiallyin the light of the new arena of struggle confronting the workers and otherbasic sectors throughout the world. In the current capitalist-led
globalization - aptly called corporate or neoliberal globalization - thescope and methods of oppression and exploitation have further beenintensified. Its main economic programs - liberalization, deregulation and
privatization - are sweepingly imposed worldwide. Supporting economicliberalization in the labor front are the systematic corporate"productivity" and labor "flexibility" measures that create a vast army ofcontractual and non-regular or informal workers, who are much "cheaper,"more "docile" and banned from joining unions.

LEARN supports global efforts to strengthen the diverse socialmovements or civil society organizations - NGOs and POs (people'sorganizations) - particularly the broad labor movement including the newforms of workers' organizations encompassing the formal and informal sectorsas well as new strategies of actions to attain a socially just, equitable,
democratic, and peaceful world.

External links

* [http://www.learn.org.ph/ Official website]