Members share confidence in Asiapro Cooperative
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Friday, November 2, 2007

A stable income is every worker’s dream. This is especially true for the more than 20 million contingent workers in the country today who are disadvantaged by the fact that their chance for progress is hindered by the unpredictable nature of non-regular employment. These “seasonal” workers need an institution that can alleviate their working conditions to favorable status. Asiapro Cooperative is the prime example of such institution.

Asiapro is a pioneering multi-purpose cooperative that takes care of engaging its owner-members in service agreements with cooperating companies. Under the model, self-employed/non-regular workers organize themselves and form a cooperative society that deals with business groups that are increasingly outsourcing services that are not part of their core competence.

Asiapro provides a steady source of skilled and efficient workers and professionals providing services to various companies, thus ensuring the long-term productivity for these contracting parties. On the other hand, Asiapro looks after its owner-members and ensures that they get better packages as members and co-owners of their own enterprise.

With the Asiapro model, workers enjoy higher service rates, insurance, health care, savings, and other standard employment benefits. Membership also ensures access to savings and credit facilities and other livelihood opportunities for the members. This Asiapro owner-member assigned to one of the agribusiness exporters is keen on noting the advantages.

“Membership with Asiapro gives me a feeling of security unlike any other. Because of the benefits and services, we don’t have to worry about cost implications of emergencies and other expenses,” says one member.

Being a multi-purpose cooperative, Asiapro also engages in service contracting, management services, productivity and skilled services in activities such as, but not limited to, production, manufacturing, agriculture, office administration, sales and promotion, logistics, housekeeping and maintenance. As co-owners of the enterprise, members also have the opportunity to share whatever success the cooperative will reap in the future.

Another Asiapro owner-member assigned to a retail company considers it as a major plus to be able to share in dividends, patronage refund and Asiapro’s service surplus, among others.

She says, “We are able to save money from outside of our regular income. These bonuses are also critical for emergency expenditures.”

Companies should invest in training to remain competitive. The cost of recruiting and training new workers after every contractual period is a major consideration. As a direct consequence of replacing trained workers, productivity, quality and efficiency might in some way be compromised. Because Asiapro provides continuing training for its members, clients prefer to engage the same flexible, productive workers.

A member also assigned to a retail company benefited greatly from training. “The various training and values programs gave us knowledge out of the conventional. These combined with our skills give us the edge over others. Our training is continuous,” she shared.

Today, Asiapro is made up of 25,000 self-employed owner members.