Workers’ “Lakbayan” shows support to Lozada, calls for social change to counter cha-cha

PRESS RELEASE
30 April 2009

Labor Day actions begin rolling today with the “Lakbayan para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago” spearheaded by the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) started a daybreak march from Bacoor Cavite.

PM chair Renato Magtubo said his group’s Lakbayan brings the call for labor protection and social justice and is part of their direct actions in countering the GMA administration’s move to change the constitution.

“What we demand is a complete reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies, NOT a run for Charter-Change to perpetuate Gloria Arroyo in power and create a system of power unlimited,” said Magtubo in a statement sent to media.

He added that it is not Jun Lozada but Gloria and those who let this country down by promoting these policies, the politicians and scammers who robbed the nation’s coffer and the capitalists who use the crisis to further abuse workers, who deserve a jail term.

PM is also coordinating with other labor groups in preparing for a joint march to Mendiola tomorrow. The labor leader said several labor, urban poor and peasant groups have agreed to have a common action on Labor Day for the defense of workers’ jobs and the poor’s right to decent living. He added that a Church Labor Conference was also formed early this week that paved the way for a closer cooperation between organized labor and the church on the campaign for labor protection.

Spearheading the Lakbayan (south contingent) are at least 1,000 displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite, Las Pinas and Paranaque. The north contingent from Rizal, Bulacan and Caloocan is marching from Edsa-Crossing down to Makati. The Lakbayan will first proceed to the Housing and Urban Development and Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to bring the call for moratorium on demolitions and evictions to housing officials. After a dialogue with HUDCC, the Lakbayan will pass by the MPD headquarters to show support to whistle –blower Jun Lozada, before proceeding to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Mass for workers

From DOLE, the Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at the Malate Church. Together with the Roman Catholic Church Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns (AMLC), a “Misa para sa Manggagawa” will be held in the morning of May 1st, to be officiated by Bishop Teodoro Bacani.

After the mass, the Lakbayan will proceed to Liwasang Bonifacio to merge with other groups under a loose alliance called Alyansa ng Manggagawa, Magsasaka at Maralita para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago, or AM3 in short More than 10,000 workers, urban poor and peasants are expected to participate in this unified action.

Other regions

Simultaneous actions will also be held in other regions. In Cebu, displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers-sponsored rally to be held at Plaza Independencia. They will also hold rally in front of DOLE-Cebu where they will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest of the inability of Labor officials to protect workers in the region. After the rally at DOLE, the protesters will march to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity for a rally against the economic crisis.

In Negros, some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental will hold a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice. Meanwhile, a caravan of a hundred vehicles will tour around Iloilo City before joining a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay

In Davao City, some 200 PM members will hold a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts. Another forum on economic crisis will be held in General Santos and Dipolog City.

In Iligan, PM and Sanlakas will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations (FDLO) in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Iligan City Freedom Park. This will be joined by other multisectoral groups as well under the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace (CSO-FP).

Lakbayan para sa Araw ng Manggagawa magsisimula bukas

Press Release
April 29, 2009

Manggagawa nanawagan na ikulong mga kapitalistang abusado kaysa si Jun Lozada

Magsisimula bukas ang paggunita sa Araw ng Manggagawa sa pamamagitan ng isang Lakbayan ng mga manggagawang natanggal sa trabaho at mga maralitang tagalungsod. Ang panawagan ng mga kalahok sa Lakbayan ay “Proteksyon sa manggagawa at maralita, Pagbabago sa ekonomiya at lipunan.”

“Sa halip na si Jun Lozada, mga kapitalistang abusado ang dapat ikulong. Sinasamantala ng maraming kapitalista ang krisis para ibagsak ang proteksyon sa paggawa at wasakin ang mga karapatan ng manggagawa. Hindi papayag ang mga manggagawa na pasanin ang bigat ng krisis na likha ng mga kapitalista,” ani Renato Magtubo, tagapangulo ng Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Mga 1,000 manggagawa at maralita mula sa Calabarzon ang magkikita ng 6:30 n.u. sa Zapote sa boundary ng Las Pinas at Bacoor bilang pagsisimula ng Lakbayan. Magtatagpo sila ng mga lalahok sa Lakbayan mula sa NCR at Bulacan bandang tanghali sa opisina ng HUDCC upang makipag-dialogue sa kahilingang sa moratorium sa demolisyon. Mula doon ay magmamartsa sila tungong opisina ng DOLE para sa dialogue kay Sec. Marianito Roque hinggil sa panawagang ayuda sa mga manggagawa.

“Ang kahilingan para sa proteksyon sa manggagawa at maralita ay unang hakbang lang sa pagtugon sa krisis. Ang susunod na hakbang ay pagbaliktad sa mga patakaran na nagpalala sa krisis. Ito ay ang liberalisasyon, deregulasyon at pribatisasyon na dahilan ng pagguho ng industriya at agrikultura, at pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin,” dagdag ni Magtubo.

Magdadala ang mga kalahok sa Lakbayan ng mga payong na may nakasulat na “Proteksyon laban sa bagyong pang-ekonomiya.” Nakasulat din ang iba’t ibang konkretong kahilingan tulad ng unemployment insurance, tax refund, universal health care, reporma sa employment program at moratorium sa demolisyon. Bukod sa PM, sasama sa Lakbayan ang grupong Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino, Zone One Tondo Organization, Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite, United Cavite Workers Association at Samahan ng Mamamayan ng Calabarzon.

Tinawag ng PM na “bandaid solution” ang planong job fair ng gobyerno sa May 1. “Hindi job mismatch ang problema at hindi job fair ang solusyon sa kawalang-trabaho. Ang ugat ng unemployment sa bansa ay economy mismatch o ang maling patakarang pang-ekonomiya na idinikta ng IMF-WB at WTO sa Pilipinas. Bunga ng globalisasyon, nawasak ang lokal na ekonomiya kaya’t walang disenteng trabaho para sa milyun-milyong Pilipino kasama na ang mga kabataang bagong graduate,” paliwanag ni Magtubo.

Policy-change not charter-change highlights militants’ call in their Labor Day actions

PRESS RELEASE
29 April 2009

Tomorrow’s “Lakbayan para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago” spearheaded by the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) would serve as kick-off in a series of Labor Day actions to be held in Metro Manila and other major cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

This was announced by PM chair Renato Magtubo who is coordinating with other labor groups in the preparation for a joint march to Mendiola on Labor Day. Magtubo said several labor, urban poor and peasant groups have agreed to have a common action on Labor Day for the defense of workers’ jobs and the poor’s right to decent living. He added that a Church Labor Conference was also formed the other day which paved the way for a closer cooperation between organized labor and the church on the campaign for labor protection.

“What we demand is a complete reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies, NOT a run for Charter-Change to perpetuate Gloria Arroyo in power and create a system of power unlimited,” said Magtubo in a statement sent to media.

Lakbayan

By daybreak tomorrow, displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite and Laguna will be joined by other workers and poor from Bulacan and the NCR in a Lakbayan that will start from Bacoor Cavite. The Lakbayan will first proceed to the Housing and Urban Development and Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to bring the call for moratorium on demolitions and evictions to housing officials, and then to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for a dialogue.

From DOLE, the more than 1,000 Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at Malate Church. Together with the Roman Catholic Church Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns (AMLC), a “Misa para sa Manggagawa” will be held in the morning of May 1st, to be officiated by Bishop Teodoro Bacani.

After the mass, the Lakbayan will proceed to Liwasang Bonifacio to merge with other groups under a loose alliance called Alyansa ng Manggagawa, Magsasaka at Maralita para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago. Some 10,000 workers, urban poor and peasants are expected to participate in this unified action.

Other regions

Simultaneous actions will also be held in other regions. In Cebu, displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers-sponsored rally to be held at Plaza Independencia. They will also hold rally in front of DOLE-Cebu where they will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest of the inability of Labor officials to protect workers in the region. After the rally at DOLE, the protesters will march to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity for a rally against the economic crisis.

In Negros, some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental will hold a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice. Meanwhile, a caravan of a hundred vehicles will tour around Iloilo City before joining a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay

In Davao City, some 200 PM members will hold a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts. Another forum on economic crisis will be held in General Santos and Dipolog City.

In Iligan, PM and Sanlakas will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations (FDLO) in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Iligan City Freedom Park. This will be joined by other multisectoral groups as well under the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace (CSO-FP).

Nationwide May 1 Activities

Answer to the Crisis: Bailout Workers, Reverse Policies

Calabarzon and NCR Lakbayan:
Displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite and Laguna to join other workers and poor from Bulacan and NCR in a Lakbayan that will pass by HUDCC and DOLE for a dialogue. The more than 1,000 Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at Malate Church. The morning of May 1st, a mass will be celebrated at Malate Church. The Lakbayan will end by merging with the Labor Unity rally at Liwasang Bonifacio at 11 a.m.

Cebu:
Displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the rally by PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers. 8 a.m. assembly at Plaza Independencia, Cebu City then rally in front of DOLE where the rallyists will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest at the inability of Labor officials to protect workers. March to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity rally against the economic crisis.

Bacolod:
Some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental to have a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice

Iloilo:
Caravan of a hundred vehicles around Iloilo City then a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay

Davao:
Some 200 workers and poor to have a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts.

General Santos City:
Rally by some 200 workers and poor

Iligan:
PM will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Freedom Park from 8 a.m. to noon. In the afternoon, the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace to spearhead a series of activities including a concert at the Freedom Park to commemorate Labor Day

Dipolog:
Forum on the economic crisis to be sponsored by Church, NGO’s and PO’s including PM

Economy mismatch not job mismatch is the cause of unemployment

Press Statement
April 26, 2009
Renato Magtubo
Chairperson

The oft-repeated line by government and business that job mismatch is the cause of unemployment is a deliberate myth. The truth is that economy mismatch—the failed development model of globalization imposed upon the Philippine economy—is at the root of job losses and joblessness in the country.

Since the start of trade liberalization in the 1980’s and the acceleration of deregulation and privatization in the 1990’s, factories and enterprises have closed shop by an average of 2,000 a year and hundreds of thousands of workers have loss their jobs annually. Furthermore, the positive GNP rates—due principally to OFW remittances—is jobless growth.

The only reason unemployment figures have remained low is through the manipulation of data and promotion of OFW deployment. Meanwhile underemployment has ballooned as former workers and farmers shift to the informal economy of insecure jobs, low pay, no benefits and grave working conditions.

The solution to economy mismatch is reorientation away from export promotion and overseas employment towards strengthening the domestic economy by building up local industry and agriculture that will provide decent work to millions of Filipinos.

Job mismatch is a problem but a secondary one that however cannot be solved through job fairs and retraining programs. The answer to job mismatch is economic planning. It means making the education system serve the needs of development and thus requires a stop to deregulation of education.

National planning must be based on the needs of the domestic economy not the demands of the overseas job market. It is a loss of social capital to invest in training Filipinos so they can serve the economic development of other countries.

Workers picket MBC to protest commission in lieu of wage hike proposal

Press Release
April 24, 2009

Members of the militant Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) picketed the office of the Makati Business Club to protest the proposal that workers be given commissions instead of wage increases. “This is wholesale theft of the labor of the working class that is little different but much worse than the syndicated estafa perpetrated by Legacy on its middle class planholders,” stated Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

Some 50 PM members partook of a lunch of rice and tuyo to symbolize the dire plight of the workers during the crisis. They also brought mock pills and capsules with the message “a workers bailout keeps the crisis away.”

Miranda insisted that “The MBC proposal is another example of the attempt by capitalists to exploit the crisis in order to lower labor standards and demolish workers’ rights. Workers will not pay for the crisis sparked by the capitalists. At the root of the global recession is the problem of global underconsumption. There is a lack of demand for the commodities produced worldwide due to two decades of a global race to the bottom in wages and working conditions. Thus shortchanging the workers in the midst of the crisis will aggravate instead of mitigate the effects of the global recession.”

PM announced that the coming Labor Day mobilization will be “one big protest against capitalist schemes and scams against the workers.” The labor party will lead more than a thousand displaced workers and urban poor in a Lakbayan that will start on the eve of May 1 then merge the next day with the Labor Day rally by various groups.

For Labor Day, PM is pushing for a “bailout of the workers and the poor” that includes unemployment subsidy, tax refund, reform and expansion of public employment program, health insurance for the displaced, and moratorium on demolitions. The group is also demanding a reversal of the policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization.

“The capitalists reject a wage hike because it is a one-size-fits-all formula that favors workers yet a commission is no different though it benefits employers and disadvantages employees. If capitalists are willing to experiment in a win-win solution, we propose a mandatory unionization of all workers and collective bargaining negotiations on the basis of particular conditions of the different industries and enterprises,” explained Miranda.

She asserted that “Through collective bargaining, labor and management can work out the wages and working conditions appropriate to the circumstances of their industries and firms. For example, the electronics industry is collapsing but in dollar-earning sunrise industries like BPO’s and call centers, capitalists can very well afford to give generous wage hikes to their workers via collective bargaining agreements with unions.”

Smith’s acquittal consummates betrayal of justice

PRESS STATEMENT
23 April 2009

Before fingers are pointed at Nicole again for doing a disservice to her own defense by virtue of her retraction and the choice for a normal life, we stand firm on our view that Daniel Smith’s acquittal merely consummates the betrayal of justice perpetrated by both the US and the Philippine governments.

It was a wanton betrayal of Philippine sovereignty when the Arroyo government gave up its jurisdiction over the convicted US criminal. Smith must have been very thankful to our Senate for ratifying the Visiting Forces Agreement which served as the latter’s strongest defense.

In particular, it was a wilful betrayal of a woman’s right when Nicole, the rape victim, found herself helpless from her own government. Nicole did fight, but found herself at the losing end upon seeing her violator live his sentence under the loving care of his own government. Nicole’s lawyer did fight, the women’s movement also did fight, but the Philippine government is neither on their and Nicole’s side.

So what do we expect from this kind of situation? Truly, this decision is not only a shameful rendition of how the rule of law is upheld in this country but also on how our foreign policy reverted back to colonial relations.

Labor party opposes commission in lieu of wage hike proposal

Press Release
April 23, 2009

The labor party Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) expressed its opposition to the proposal by the Makati Business Club that workers be given commissions instead of wage increases because of the economic difficulties. “This is wholesale theft of the working class that is little different but much worse than the syndicated estafa perpetrated by Legacy on its middle class planholders,” stated Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson.

He added that “This proposal is another illustration of the vicious attempt by capitalists to exploit the crisis in order to lower labor standards and demolish workers’ rights. Workers will not pay for the crisis sparked by the capitalists. At the root of the global recession is the problem of global underconsumption. There is a lack of demand for the commodities produced worldwide due to two decades of a global race to the bottom in wages and working conditions. Thus shortchanging the workers in the midst of the crisis will aggravate instead of mitigate the effects of the global recession.”
PM announced that the coming Labor Day mobilization will be “one big protest against capitalist schemes and scams against the workers.” The labor party will lead more than a thousand displaced workers and urban poor in a Lakbayan that will start on the eve of May 1 then merge the next day with the Labor Day rally by various groups.

For Labor Day, PM is pushing for a “bailout of the workers and the poor” that includes unemployment subsidy, tax refund, reform and expansion of public employment program, health insurance for the displaced, and moratorium on demolitions. The group is also demanding a reversal of the policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization.

“The capitalists reject a wage hike because it is a one-size-fits-all formula that favors workers yet a commission is no different though it benefits employers and disadvantages employees. If capitalists are willing to experiment in a win-win solution, we propose a mandatory unionization of all workers and collective bargaining negotiations on the basis of particular conditions of the different industries and enterprises,” explained Magtubo.

Magtubo asserted that “Through collective bargaining, labor and management can work out the wages and working conditions appropriate to the circumstances of their industries and firms. For example, the electronics industry is collapsing but in dollar-earning sunrise industries like BPO’s and call centers, capitalists can very well afford to give generous wage hikes to their workers via collective bargaining agreements with unions.”

Workers picket PhilHealth to demand longer health coverage for laid-off workers

Press Release
April 23, 2009

Members of the militant Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) picketed the PhilHealth main office in Pasig to ask that it extend health coverage for retrenched workers by six months to one year. This was the group’s reaction to the announcement last April 15 by Dr. Rey Aquino, president and chief executive officer of PhilHealth, that the agency will give three months coverage to displaced workers.

“PhilHealth is in the pink of health thus should help workers who are in the red. To continue PhilHealth coverage to worker formerly earning P10,000, the government just needs to subsidize P375 in employee and employer contributions per month or P4,500 in a year. To cover 100,000 retrenched workers, a mere P450 million is needed,” argued PM secretary-general Judy Ann Miranda.

In the picket, some 50 PM members carried an oversized doctor’s prescription containing the demand for longer health insurance coverage. In addition they made mock pills and capsules to symbolize their message that “a workers bailout keeps the doctor away.”

Miranda explained that “Three months is too little since it takes around 12 months for a retrenched worker to find a new job according to an independent study. The longer the PhilHealth coverage, the better to secure the health needs of a worker’s family during unemployment.”

Under the rules, Philhealth coverage is good only until a member is employed thus one of the major consequences of job loss is the inability to access health care previously enjoyed during employment.

“Loss of income as a consequence of job loss falls heavy on workers and the termination of their PhilHealth coverage undermines their health security, especially on women and children. With the loss of work-related health insurance, laid off workers cannot afford the high cost of drugs and health care. It is also during hard times that health problems arise as displaced workers grapple with stress and other problems that affect their well-being,” Miranda said.

Extension of health care benefits to displaced workers is one of the demands in the “bailout package for workers and the poor” advocated by the PM. Other demands include unemployment subsidy, tax refund, reform and expansion of public employment program and moratorium on demolitions. The group is also pushing for the reversal of the policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization.

The PhilHealth picket is the start of a series of buildup activities for Labor Day next week. The highlight of the PM-led activities is a Lakbayan by more than 1,000 displaced workers and urban poor to start on the eve of May 1.

Labor group asks SSS to allot more funds for displaced workers from increased revenue

PRESS RELEASE
21 April 2009

The militant labor party-list group, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), is urging the Social Security System (SSS) to allocate more funds for displaced workers given the reported increase in the pension fund’s income last year.

SSS Executive Vice-President Horacio T. Templo declared the other day that the pension fund’s net revenue reached P22.8 billion in 2008 from P12.1 billion in the previous year, or an increase of 88 percent. The increase, according to Templo, mainly came from the sale of its shares in Meralco and Banco De Oro. Membership contribution also rose 11.4%, from P61.8 billion to P68.9 billion. In effect, the fund’s return on investment rose to 10.9% from 8% in 2007.

Labor first

PM chair Renato Magtubo said this is welcome news for labor, yet this can only be true if benefits from this rise in revenue redound directly to the real owners of the fund – the private sector employees who are now reeling from the impact of the global economic crisis.

In the face of the raging economic crisis, the labor leader challenged the government to promote a “labor first policy” not only to protect labor rights during crisis but also to serve as a policy guide for the better and appropriate use of our resources.

“For so many years we workers are not even aware of how our pension fund is being managed and where our contributions are being invested. Many times we hear of reports that the fund is being used to bail out private firms. Perhaps this is our turn to demand that our fund be used to bailout the workers in the face of the raging economic crisis,” stressed Magtubo.

Earlier, the SSS contributed some P12.5-B to President Arroyo’s P330-B ‘stimulus package’, which is most likely to be used, as feared by many sectors, for patronage politics.

Reversal of “no loan policy”

Magtubo added that Templo’s disclosure effectively reversed the fund’s previous pronouncements that it has run out of money to extend assistance to workers affected by the crisis.

It is recalled that early last month, SSS Chair Romulo Neri, defended the fund’s “no loan policy” for laid-off workers, saying that the 10% mandated ceiling for benefits has already been breached. Neri was only forced to reverse his position when the Partido ng Manggagawa protested the callousness of such a policy. A week later, the SSS announced that it has allocated P500 million for displaced workers.

But the labor group said the P500 million window is surely not enough to mitigate the impact of massive job loss. Only about 50,000 displaced workers can avail of the fund if they are provided a P10,000 one-month unemployment subsidy. The labor department, however, said that some 40,000 workers lost their jobs since October while over a hundred thousand are either affected by reduced work hours and wage cuts. And the number is still growing especially in the export zones.

PM insists that direct subsidy or loan facilities for displaced SSS members be extended to at least six months, as their transition to finding new jobs takes longer due to the deepening economic crisis. NEDA Director-General Ralph Recto estimated the cost of this measure to about P7 billion.

Extending unemployment subsidy/insurance to displaced workers is one of the demands in the “bailout package for workers and the poor” advocated by the Partido ng Manggagawa. Other demands include a tax refund, reform and expansion of public employment program, extension of healthcare coverage, and moratorium on demolitions and evictions.

The group is also demanding the reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies, which it claims, were responsible for the country’s chronic underdevelopment.

PM, along with other labor groups, are set to launch series of protest actions including a “Lakbayan” to press for those demands leading to a bigger Labor Day action on May 1.

Church asked to support call for moratorium on demolitions

Press Release
April 21, 2009
Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino

The Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP), a nationwide group of militant urban poor organizations, called on Cardinal Rosales and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to support the call for a moratorium on evictions of the urban poor as another violent eviction occurred in Cebu yesterday.

“We ask that the Church lend its voice to the demand for a moratorium on demolitions and a ban on violent evictions. As the Church backs the rural poor’s fight for agrarian reform, so we hope it will also support the urban poor’s struggle for decent housing,” stated Jess Panis, spokesperson of AMP.

Six people were hurt and three arrested in the violent eviction in Sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Talamban in Cebu as residents fought a police SWAT team sent to reinforce the demolition team. Last Wednesday, seven people were hurt and three arrested as residents resisted the demolition of a depressed community in Veraville Subdivision in Barangay Pulang Lupa 2 in Las Pinas. While on April 3, bulldozers were used in the violent demolition at Militon in Barangay San Antonio, Paranaque.

In response to the series of violent demolitions, AMP is advocating a 5-point agenda: (1) Moratorium on demolitions and ban on violent evictions. LGU’s should pass ordinances to implement the Commission on Human Rights Resolution (1v) No. A2008-052 recommending a moratorium; (2) Condonation of penalties and interests on low-cost and socialized housing loans. Draft a pro-poor implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Republic Act 9507 or Socialized and Low-Cost Housing Loan Restructuring Act of 2008; (3) Jobs for the 3 million unemployed. Reform and expand the public employment program; (4) Allot 20% of the land in housing projects for socialized housing as provided for in the UDHA. Thus on-site relocation will be possible and the urban poor need not be relocated to undeveloped areas without services and jobs; and (5) Shift the bulk of the P330 billion fund for the stimulus plan to direct support and social services to the poor instead of infrastructure projects which benefits principally contractors and business.

“Honest to goodness negotiations with the community must be conducted for decent relocation. Residents are resisting and fighting evictions because they are being relocated to death zones where there are no livelihood and services,” explained Panis.

Labor party demands extension of health coverage to laid-off workers to at least 6 months

PRESS RELEASE
19 April 2009

A militant labor party is demanding the government to extend to at least six months the health coverage for retrenched workers, saying that the three-month extension announced by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) the other day may not be enough to secure the health needs of a worker’s family during interim dislocation as a consequence of job loss.

Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) secretary general Judy Ann Miranda, said one of the major consequences of job loss to a worker is the inability to access health care he or she previously enjoyed during employment. Under the rules, Philhealth coverage is good only until a member is employed.

The problem with this, Miranda said, is that a time lag before a worker finds another job is long, an average of 12 months, according to a study, especially if a displaced worker surpasses the “age limit” required for a new job. Thus, stressed Miranda, “a longer extension of health coverage is necessary to protect the worker and his family during this transition.”

“Loss of income as a consequence of job loss falls heavy on workers and the termination of their Philhealth coverage undermines their health security, especially on women and children,” said Miranda.

With the loss of work-related health insurance, laid off workers cannot afford the high cost of drugs and health care. Miranda explained further that it is also during hard times that health problems arise as displaced workers grapple with stress and other problems that affect their well-being.

The labor group said the state has an obligation to secure the health needs of its people with or without work, adding that universal health care is a right and should not be treated as collateral damage resulting from job loss.

Extension of health care benefits to displaced workers is one of the demands in the “bailout package for workers and the poor” advocated by the Partido ng Manggagawa. Other demands include unemployment subsidy, tax refund, reform and expansion of public employment program, and moratorium on demolitions and evictions.

The group is also demanding the reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies, which it claims, were responsible for the country’s chronic underdevelopment.

PM, along with other labor groups, are set to launch series of protest actions to press for those demands leading to a bigger Labor Day action on May 1.

Moratorium on evictions asked as violent demolitions rise

Press Release
April 19, 2009

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) and the Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) demanded a moratorium on evictions of the urban poor in the face of a rash of violent demolitions in the last two weeks in Metro Manila and Cebu. “We ask that Malacanang declare a moratorium on demolitions and a ban on violent evictions. The least that government can do in the midst of the economic crisis is to refrain from destroying the houses and livelihoods of the poor,” stated Renato Magtubo, chairperson of PM.

The call for a moratorium came in the wake of a series of violent demolitions in Metro Manila and Cebu. Last Wednesday, seven people were hurt and three arrested as residents resisted the demolition of a depressed community in Veraville Subdivision in Barangay Pulang Lupa 2 in Las Pinas. The day before, residents of Lower Tayong, Barangay Talamban in Cebu claimed they were harassed by members of the police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) who backed up the demolition team.

Last April 3 two urban poor leaders were arrested in separate incidents. One was arrested during the violent demolition at Militon in Barangay San Antonio, Paranaque in which bulldozers were used as residents fought the eviction. The other was arrested as 16 families in Hinahon, Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong occupied vacant housing units that were allotted to them as legitimate beneficiaries but were denied them by a syndicate.

“The Urban Housing and Development Act (UDHA) provide that no demolition can proceed without relocation provided the urban poor. Honest to goodness negotiations with the community must be conducted for decent relocation. Residents are resisting and fighting evictions because they are being relocated to death zones where there are no livelihood and services,” explained Jess Panis, spokesperson of AMP.

PM and AMP announced that the urban poor will join industrial workers in commemorating Labor Day. Panis said that the urban poor is pushing for a 5-point demand in regards to the government’s so-called “stimulus plan.”

The 5-point demands are: (1) Moratorium on demolitions and ban on violent evictions. LGU’s should pass ordinances to implement the Commission on Human Rights Resolution (1v) No. A2008-052 recommending a moratorium; (2) Condonation of penalties and interests on low-cost and socialized housing loans. Draft a pro-poor implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Republic Act 9507 or Socialized and Low-Cost Housing Loan Restructuring Act of 2008; (3) Jobs for the 3 million unemployed. Reform and expand the public employment program; (4) Allot 20% of the land in housing projects for socialized housing as provided for in the UDHA. Thus on-site relocation will be possible and the urban poor need not be relocated to undeveloped areas without services and jobs; and (5) Shift the bulk of the P330 billion fund for the stimulus plan to direct support and social services to the poor instead of infrastructure projects which benefits principally contractors and business.

Hounded by relentless protest, Parañaque LGU finally sits down with urban poor for a dialogue

PRESS RELEASE
Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino
April 16, 2009

The local government of Parañaque finally sits down with the leaders of the city’s restless urban poor after series of protests, including a violent one at Militon in Barangay San Antonio, flared up in the city one after another for over a month now.

Even the dialogue today coincided with another rally by some 700 urban poor residents from several barangays. Yesterday, another affiliate community in Las Piñas was also violently evicted. Urban poor leaders hope that the dialogue today will be able to formulate concrete plans and actions in addressing the housing problem in the city.

According to Nena Olbina, one of the leaders of the Alyansa ng Maralita sa Parañaque (AMP), the urban poor communities in Parañaque were restless over threats and actual demolitions happening in the city for almost a year now. The AMP is a coalition of urban poor organizations in the city of Parañaque. Most of the city demolitions, Olbina said, are done through violent means while proper relocation is not being addressed.

In particular, the AMP is asking the City Council of Paranaque to pass an ordinance in accordance with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) resolution.

The group is referring to CHR Resolution (1v) No. A2008-052 which recommends for “the imposition of a moratorium on evictions and demolitions of structures used for dwelling purposes and other measures to protect the right to housing.”

Olbina said, the CHR resolution should guide the LGUs not only on the proper handling of demolition cases but on the primacy of protecting the rights of the poor settlers especially during these times of economic crisis. The AMP disclosed that Pasay and Quezon City already have their own moratorium policy through their respective city ordinances.

AMP leaders said protest will continue and may erupt into bigger protest if negotiations bog down.

“The right of the countless poor to live a decent life is an important right the local government must uphold over the right of the few to property,” said Olbina, invoking that support to the poor in cases where owners of private properties gain an upper hand, remains a government duty and instead of the poor being left on their own.

Workers contest rosy “GRIM” report

Press Release
April 15, 2009

The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) disputed the “rosy GRIM report” released by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque and Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto. “In the export zones of Calabarzon and Cebu, ground zero of the impact of the perfect economic storm, what we see are continuous retrenchments not a tapering of layoffs. Roque and Recto are modern-day brothers GRIM with a fairy tale of 14,000 displaced workers rehired by their former employers,” argued Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson.

“If Roque is able to show a capitalist who has rehired their retrenched workers, we will present a hundred workers who remain jobless and penniless,” Magtubo insisted as he revealed the recently retrenchments the group has uncovered.

He said that Danam Phils., an electronics firm in the Cavite Economic Zone in Rosario, terminated more than 300 workers last March. Meanwhile Lear, a locator in the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) which makes electronic components for cars, retrenched some 400 workers early this month and employees fear another batch of layoffs soon. Last Saturday, Sauna World (Sawo), a factory producing sauna and spa heaters also in MEPZ, terminated 84 workers, about half its workforce.

“Even assuming that job losses are indeed tapering off, government has not even made good on its promised aid to displaced workers. Two weeks ago officials were announcing that electronics firms will not retrench workers and instead pay employees half of their wages while undergoing training. They also promised that laid off electronics workers should receive benefits on top of their separation pay. Finally, Recto was dangling the prospect of unemployment insurance. These are unfulfilled promises as shown by the experience of Cavite and Cebu workers,” Magtubo declared.

Danam Phils. laid off workers on the basis of serious losses due to the economic crisis. The retrenched workers were just given 13 days per year of service in separation pay and the much delayed payment of their 13th month salary. Among the 400 terminated Lear workers were those who availed of a retirement offer but others were simply retrenched without the required 30 days notice. Sawo declared in its termination letters to its workers that it is suffering from losses due to the economic crisis and offered to pay only 15 days per year of service in separation pay.

For the coming commemoration of Labor Day, PM is demanding a bailout package for workers in the light of continuous hemorrhage in jobs in export firms. The bailout includes subsidy for displaced workers from the SSS, GSIS and OWWA; tax refund for all wage earners; expansion and reform of the public employment program; extension of health care coverage for displaced workers; and moratorium on demolitions and evictions.

“Bailing out the workers is just the first step. Reversing the policies that brought about the crisis itself is the next. The policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization must be rolled back,” insisted Magtubo. ###

Government dared on displaced workers assistance

Press Release
April 14, 2009

Workers of Danam Phils., an electronics factory in the Cavite Economic Zone in Rosario, dared the government to make good on its promises about alternatives to layoffs and assistance to the displaced. Danam Phils. terminated more than 300 workers last March.

“Just before Holy Week, President Gloria Arroyo herself was saying that electronics firms should not retrench workers and instead pay half of their wages while undergoing training. Workers cannot survive on press releases. We dare the government to implement its promises not issue statements,” argued Dennis Sequenia, head of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) in Cavite.

Danam Phils. laid off workers on the basis of serious losses due to the economic crisis. The retrenched workers were just given 13 days per year of service in separation pay and the much delayed payment of their 13th month salary.

“So we are asking Trade Secretary Peter Favila, where are other benefits on top of the separation pay for electronics workers that you were boasting two weeks ago,” Sequenia added.

The displaced workers of Cavite are also demanding that the government put into effect the proposal for temporary unemployment insurance. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto is recommending a monthly subsidy of P10,000 for each laid-off worker for six months.

Renato Magtubo, national chairperson of PM, explained that “The unemployment insurance proposal has been talked about in the media for several weeks. It is high time that it be implemented. Since retrenched workers will be receiving a subsidy of P10,000, we demand that electronics workers should not just be paid by their companies half of their wages but also receive from government a subsidy worth the other half.”

For the coming commemoration of Labor Day, PM is demanding a bailout package for workers in the light of continuous hemorrhage in jobs in export firms. The bailout includes subsidy for displaced workers from the SSS, GSIS and OWWA; tax refund for all wage earners; expansion and reform of the public employment program; extension of health care coverage for displaced workers; and moratorium on demolitions and evictions.

“Aside from the immediate measure of a workers bailout, an intermediate move is the reversal of policies that have led to closures, retrenchments and price hikes since the 1990’s. The policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization must be rolled back,” insisted Magtubo.

First ever rally inside Mactan Export Zone erupts over illegal terminations

Press Release
April 13, 2009

A protest rally broke out inside the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) at 8:30 this morning. It was the first ever rally inside the export zone in its decades long existence. Around 70 workers of Sawo Inc., a Finnish-owned firm producing sauna and spa heaters for export, marched from their factory to the gates of MEPZ II, held a short program there and then went onto the DOLE office.

“Our illegal termination is nothing else but retaliation for the compliant we filed at the DOLE two weeks ago,” alleged Elena Juen, a leader of the protesting Sawo workers. The workers were not permitted to enter the factory today as they supposedly had been terminated. Last April 1, 2009, 78 Sawo employees had filed complaints of illegal termination and illegal suspension on behalf of their fellow workers. They also charged the head of the Sawo human resources department of fomenting “labor troubles” instead of promoting “harmonious relations.”

Some of the workers received termination letters through the mail last Saturday while others received theirs today. In the letter, the company claimed that it was suffering losses due to the economic crisis and thus would close down certain sections and layoff workers. The workers though assert that the factory has not experienced a reduction in sales and in production.

“The case of Sawo is the clearest example yet of capitalists using the crisis as an alibi to demolish labor standards and workers rights. The mere allegation of serious losses due to the global recession is now a blank check to suppress workers who are asserting their rights. With barely three weeks to go until Labor Day, the struggles in Sawo, Keppel and Giardini illustrate the state of the workers today,” argued Renato Magtubo, chairperson of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

At the DOLE office in downtown Cebu, the workers plan to contest their termination and file new complaints of illegal dismissal. “We are appealing for the support of our fellow Cebuano workers,” Juen asked.

PM announced that they would mobilize the organized labor of Cebu in solidarity with the fight of the Sawo workers. “If the Sawo labor dispute is not settled by May 1, then it will be one of the key demands of the Labor Day mobilization in Cebu,” Magtubo declared.

The 78 workers who signed the complaint had all been terminated and were not allowed to enter the factory today. This left only three regular workers and numerous contractual workers operating the factory.

The labor dispute was sparked by a quarrel at the corporate board room of Sawo. A group of workers who had sided with one of the Finnish owners who had been expelled by the present head of the company were terminated on trumped up charges. When a bigger group of employees sympathized with the workers who had initially been terminated, they too were retrenched last weekend.

Workers say economic resurrection can occur through policy reversal

Press Release
April 12, 2009

The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) declared that the economic crisis must be transformed into an opportunity for reconstruction by making policy changes. “An economic resurrection can come about through a policy reversal and paradigm shift in the national development model,” asserted Renato Magtubo, chairperson of PM,

He added that “The policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization must be stopped. The local economy must be developed by strengthening industry and modernizing agriculture based on agrarian reform. Since the beginning of the global crisis it has been Black Friday for workers. It has been like Calvary for workers who have lost their jobs and have sustained pay cuts due to reduced work days and compressed workweeks.”

As examples of the policy changes, the group cited the repeal of the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act), Oil Deregulation Law and VAT. “Such reversals in policy will rollback the price increases that came about because of privatization and deregulation of basic services. Also tariff protection and quota restrictions must be imposed on foreign goods that compete with locally-produced products and services,” Magtubo explained.

He also mentioned the review and revocation of unequal trade agreements such as the multilateral GATT-WTO and bilateral ones like JPEPA and the proposed EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. “These so-called trade agreements have favored multinational corporations to thee detriment of workers, farmers and local business,” Magtubo insisted.

The labor group also called on workers to challenge the government’s promises of assistance for the displaced. “The unemployment insurance proposal has been talked for weeks already. Workers cannot survive on news stories. It is high time that it be implemented. Workers should claim these benefits and protection through protest and struggle,” argued Magtubo.

For Labor Day, PM is demanding a bailout package for workers. The bailout includes subsidy for displaced workers from the SSS, GSIS and OWWA; tax refund for all wage earners; expansion and reform of the public employment program; extension of health care coverage for displaced workers; and moratorium on demolitions and evictions.

Magtubo clarified that “Bailing out the workers is just the first step. Reversing the policies that brought about the crisis itself is the next. But the ultimate solution is to replace moribund capitalism with a new society whose organizing principle is not prioritizing corporate profit but meeting people’s needs.”

Keppel management settles dispute, union declares partial victory

Press Release
April 8, 2009

The management and union of the large Keppel Cebu shipyard this afternoon signed a memorandum of agreement spelling out the terms of a settlement over the month-long labor dispute over mass layoffs. The Keppel union considered the agreement as a “partial victory in the tactical fight against retrenchment.”

Roger Igot, president of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero (NMB) Keppel Shipyard-National Federation of Labor (NFL), said that “We were able to preserve the union and more than half of the regular workforce. Thus we will have a new collective bargaining negotiations come December whether under the present management or the new company that will undertake shipbuilding operations.”

The memorandum of agreement stipulates that management will not declare another redundancy and may use only persuasion in making workers accept the company’s offer for alternative employment in their other shipyards both locally and abroad. The agreement also allows any worker among the 70 that were retrenched through redundancy to contest their termination in a proper forum with the help of the union.

Renato Magtubo, chairperson of Partido ng Manggagawa, asserted that “The agreement is merely a ceasefire in the class struggle. At the moment the balance of forces tilted in favor of the workers through their militant struggle and labor solidarity among Cebu unions. The Giardini del Sole workers formula of militant struggle against mass layoffs has proved successful once more.”

In the course of more than a month, the Keppel union has engaged in sitdown protests and rallies at the shipyard gates with the support of the Solidarity of Cebu Workers (SCW). The Keppel union has a pending notice of strike and assails management for using the mass layoffs as a means to bust the union and replace the regular workforce with contractual workers. The memorandum of agreement enjoins both parties from engaging in any acts that will exacerbate the dispute. In concrete this means that the management will not push through with another redundancy while the union will follow through on the strike.

“The labor dispute at Keppel, the layoffs at Lear and other factories at the Mactan Export Processing Zone belie government claims. It is wishful thinking on the part of government to say that layoffs are over. The good news over more hiring than firings are just fairy tales. Still we call on all workers to challenge government’s promises of assistance for the displaced including the temporary unemployment insurance of P10,000 per month for six months. Workers should claim these benefits and protection through protest and struggle,” argued Magtubo.

Workers challenge government on assistance package

Press Release
April 5, 2009

Workers of Lear, a factory in the Mactan Export Processing Zone which makes electronic components for cars, challenged the government to make good on its promises about alternatives to layoffs and assistance to the displaced. Lear again terminated some 400 workers last Friday and the workers believe a next batch of layoffs is in the works.

“Only last week President Gloria Arroyo herself was saying that electronics firms should not retrench workers and instead pay half of their wages while undergoing training. Workers cannot survive on press releases. We dare the government to implement its promises not issue statements,” argued Renato Magtubo, chairperson of Partido ng Manggagawa.

In response to the impact of the crisis, Lear announced to its workers that it is consolidating by shutting down two of its plants and maintaining just one. Among the 400 who were terminated last Friday were workers who availed of a retirement offer but others were simply retrenched without the required 30 days notice.

“Whether they availed of the retirement offer or were retrenched outright, the displaced workers received only a separation pay of 13 days per year of service. So we are asking Trade Secretary Peter Favila, where are other benefits on top of the separation pay that you were boasting last week,” Magtubo added.

The displaced workers of Cebu are also demanding that the government put into effect the proposal for temporary unemployment insurance. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto is recommending a monthly subsidy of P10,000 for each laid-off worker for six months.

Magtubo explained that “The unemployment insurance proposal has been bandied about in the media for weeks already. It is high time that it be implemented. Since retrenched workers will be receiving a subsidy of P10,000, we demand that electronics workers should not just be paid by their companies half of their wages but also receive from government a subsidy worth the other half.”

PM is reiterating its bailout package for workers in the light of continuous hemorrhage in jobs in export firms. The bailout includes subsidy for displaced workers from the SSS, GSIS and OWWA; tax refund for all wage earners; expansion and reform of the public employment program; extension of health care coverage for displaced workers; and moratorium on demolitions and evictions.

“It has been Black Friday for workers since the onset of the crisis before the Christmas season last year. An economic resurrection can only come about through a policy reversal and paradigm shift in the national development model. The policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization must be stopped. The local economy must be developed by strengthening industry and modernizing agriculture based on agrarian reform,” insisted Magtubo.

Urban poor group condemns violent demolition, arrest of leaders

Press Release
April 4, 2009
Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino

The Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) and the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) condemned the violent demolition yesterday of the depressed community of Militon in Paranaque City. The groups also slammed the arrest of two urban poor leaders in two separate incidents yesterday

According to Robert Labrador, an AMP leader, “Willy Candelario of Paranaque and Femelda Galura Avilen of Mandaluyong must be released since their arrests are mere harassment. Their only crime, if it can be called that, is fighting for the right to decent housing for the poor.”

Candelario was arrested during the demolition at Militon in Barangay San Antonio, Paranaque. While Avilen was hauled by the police in Hinahon, Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City in the midst of the occupation by the poor of a housing project.

“Holy Week is still a few days away but these events highlight the calvary of the poor in our country. Yesterday seemed like Black Friday for the Militon community, and the demolition crew that used a bulldozer and the Paranaque police that threw tear gas were like Roman centurions,” asserted Labrador.

In the community of Hinahon, 16 families occupied early morning yesterday the vacant housing units that were allotted to them as legitimate beneficiaries but were denied them by a syndicate. The Hinahon is a Gawad Kalinga housing project in partnership with Megaworld and the city government of Mandaluyong.

AMP and PM are calling for a moratorium on demolitions and evictions in the face of the economic crisis. The groups will emphasize that demand in the yearly “Kalbaryo ng Maralita” to be held on Monday. The “Kalbaryo ng Maralita” is a traditional march-protest to draw attention to the plight of the poor.

Workers protest layoffs at Keppel

Press Release
April 4, 2009

The Keppel Cebu union with supporters from the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) held a rally outside the shipyard’s gates in protest at the redundancy program of management. The 10 a.m. mass action was in reaction to the list of 70 workers to be terminated for redundancy that was released by management yesterday. Together with 47 workers who had earlier availed of management’s retirement program, this meant that the total 280 regular workforce will be reduced by almost half.

Roger Igot, president of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero (NMB) Keppel Shipyard-National Federation of Labor (NFL), said that “The redundancy announced by management is tainted with bad faith since negotiations with the union on the issue are still ongoing. This is an early Black Friday for the 70 workers who are to be jobless due to redundancy.”

Around 100 protesters picketed the Keppel Cebu shipyard with the delegation from PM coming from workers of General Milling Corp., Lami Foods, Neostone, Prince Warehouse, Giardini del Sole and residents of nearby communities of Looc and Poblacion. “The fight of Keppel workers for jobs is the fight of all Cebuano workers,” declared Dennis Derige, spokesperson for PM-Cebu.

Last March 15, the union filed a notice of strike alleging union busting and the next day an overwhelming majority of the members voted for a work stoppage. Igot also disclosed that Keppel Sing-marine Philippines, Inc. has filed with the Board of Investments for pioneer status. Keppel Sing-marine Philippines will supposedly employ 620 workers through the P590-million facility for making tugboats and support vessels.

“That means once Keppel Cebu terminates many of the 280 regular workers and union members then the remaining employees will be a minority among more than 500 contractuals of Keppel Sing-marine. The contractual workers will only be paid the minimum wage and moreover will be without the protection of a union and benefit of a collective bargaining agreement,” insisted Igot.

Derige added that “How ironic that while Keppel may receive generous perks such as tax-and duty-free importation of capital equipment, income tax holiday of up to six years and exemption from wharf dues, export tax and import fees, it demolishes regular jobs and destroy workers lives. Foreign capitalists get corporate welfare while Filipino workers are denied social protection. Any company that will get assistance from the government must be prohibited from mass layoffs.”