Key Union Elections in Asia

Union elections in countries and jurisdictions across Asia have become better organized, regulated, and legalized in recent years. However, challenges in civic organization elections in Asia are also not rare, meaning that organizers, administrators, and officials need to focus on transparency, clarity, and accessibility to foster voter and member trust.

There are two major regional organizations: the World Federation of Trade Unions, Asia and Pacific branch (WTFU-AP) and the International Trade Union Confederation Asia Pacific (ITUC-AP). Each body oversees election processes, including voting to elect board members, making decisions about union demands, and petitioning governments to improve workers' rights.

In this guide, we’ll dive into some of the major issues many trade union bodies face and share guidance to improve union voting processes to avoid conflict, distrust, and anti-union sentiment.

What Are the Main Union Elections in Asia?

There are hundreds of unions across Asia, most opting to join one of the regional organizations mentioned above. The ITUC-AP, for instance, has:

• An effective membership of sixty million people
• Member unions in thirty-six countries and territories
• Sixty-two National Trade Union centers
• Sixteen years of experience

Affiliate unions leverage their membership to participate in regional campaigns. Members can, for instance, participate in votes to decide whether to support strike action by specific unions, participate in elections to fill the boards representing their region, or contribute to solidarity statements.

Understanding the Union Frameworks in Asia

Modernization has shown that in Central American union elections, voter engagement has been fundamental. Previous studies showed that less than half of people believed their votes were correctly counted.

Reforms in the region have concentrated on dependable electoral technologies, transparency with reporting, clarity around the use of organizational finances, and addressing claims of fraud or unethical vote counting to restore confidence. Similar challenges exist in Asia, another region with relatively new approaches to democratic voting processes. 

Challenges for Trade Unions in Asia 

For unions across the sectors and industries, significant issues include:

• Remaining sensitive to members' expectations and making relevant proposals in difficult and often complex economic markets
• Investing in innovation to bring stability and affluence to local sectors
• Strengthening the relationships between unions, governments, and political parties and establishing communications between multiple groups to achieve common goals

Following significant membership losses across most Asian unions in the 1990s, many have needed to work hard to develop forward-thinking strategies, adopting more accessible technologies that comply with international standards and are designed to boost confidence and participation in voting processes.

Technological Advancements in Election Processes Ideal for Unions in Asia

As noted, innovative election software and applications have been instrumental in union voting reform, where unions can attract and retain members and stimulate better participation in voting by:

• Using transparent systems and apps that allow voters to review all the options, confirm their vote has been counted, and access live or digital reporting to clarify the outcomes
• Providing more reliable experiences, improving access, and ensuring union members can vote digitally or automatically without the potential for paper ballots to be lost or tampered with

Software like the ElectionBuddy voting platform provides varied functions and features with customizable voting processes for unions of all sizes. Union leaders and election facilitators can customize each ballot or vote according to the type of decisions, board appointments, or industrial action they are voting against, providing clear audit trails and access keys for security and integrity.

While unions in Asia can also order paper ballots through the platform to support in-person voting, a majority of union members opt to use digital voting for the assurances that their vote has been counted, with extra functions such as text and email reminders to follow-up on eligible voters who have yet to participate.