Walang “boss” na busabos, hamon ng manggagawa sa SONA ni P-Noy

PRESS RELEASE

26 July 2010

Walang “boss” na busabos sa daang matuwid!

Ito ang hamong ibinato ng hanay ng manggagawa sa bagong administrasyon kasabay ng kanilang pagmartsa sa kalsada sa okasyon ng unang State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Noynoy Aquino III.

Ayon sa Partido ng Manggagawa, dahil idineklara ni P-Noy na “kayo ang aking boss” sa kanyang inaugural speech noong Hunyo 30, umaasa ngayon ang mga manggagawa na malalagyan ito ng laman sa pamamagitan ng seryosong pagharap sa mga problemang pasan-pasan ng naghihirap na mga “boss”.

Sinabi ng tagapangulo ng Partido ng Manggagawa na si Renato Magtubo, walang kahulugan ang salitang “boss” sa ordinaryong manggagawa kung ang buhay nila ay mananatiling busabos dahil sa nararanasang kahirapan at kawalang dignidad sa buhay.

Para umano maramdaman ang pagiging “boss”, ang mga manggagawa ay dapat may regular na trabaho hindi kontraktwal, may sapat na sweldo, may disenteng tirahan, at protektado ang kalusugan.

Kabaliktaran umano ito sa kalagayan nila ngayon dahil bukod sa kawalang trabaho ay mababa rin ang sweldo, kapos ang benipisyo at walang proteksyon dahil kontraktwal ang laganap na trabaho.  Wala pa umanong 20% ng mga kapitalista ang sumusunod sa minimum wage habang laganap ang kontraktwalisasyon at ibat-ibang klase ng pang-aabuso sa manggagawa laluna sa mga Export Zones (EPZA) ng Calabarzon at Cebu.

Tanggalan sa PAL

Kabilang sa mga lalahok sa martsa ng PM patungong Batasan ang may 500 empleyado ng PAL na nanganganib masibak sa trabaho kung di mababaliktad ang “midnight decision” na inilabas ng Department of Labor noong June 15, 2010, na nagpapahintulot sa planong spinoff ng ibat-ibang departamento at tanggalan ng libu-libong empleyado ng PAL. 

Dala nila ang isang replika ng eroplano ng PAL na may nakasulat na “No to mass layoff of 2,600 PAL employees”.  

Ayon kay Gerry Rivera, Pangulo ng Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), kung di mababaliktad ang desisyon ng DOLE, bubuksan nito ang pintuan ng lalong pag-abuso sa manggagawa dahil gagawing kontraktwal ang mga regular.

Ang isyu umano ng PAL ay isa sa magiging sukatan kung ang papanigan ng gubyerno ay ang “maliliit na boss” o ang mga “big boss” na kapitalista gaya ni Lucio Tan.

Bagong ekonomiya, makataong pamumuhay

Sinusuportahan din ng Partido ng Manggagawa ang kampanya para sa bagong ekonomiya ng Freedom from Debt Coalition, at Kampanya para sa Makataong Pamumuhay na kumakatawan sa totoong pagbabago na dapat makita ng mamamayan.

Ang mga ito ay ang kampanya para sa trabaho, universal healthcare, moratorium sa demolisyon, at mga pagbabago sa patakarang pang-ekonomiya gaya ng liberalisasyon, deregulasyon at pribatisasyon ng industriya at agrikultura, at mga serbisyong panlipunan.

PAL workers to join SONA march to ask P-Noy to defend regular jobs

PRESS RELEASE

25 July 2010

Rank and file workers of Philippine Airlines are joining labor groups’ SONA march tomorrow to ask President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to save their jobs and put an end to the labor contractualization policy. 

Some 500 members of Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) will join the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) contingent along the Tandang Sora and Commonwealth Avenues around 10:00 am tomorrow before marching with the multisectoral groups Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and the Kampanya para sa Makataong Pamunuhay (KAMP) towards the Batasan Complex.  

PALEA members have prepared a replica of a PAL plane where they wrote a message for P-Noy asking the President to stop the planned layoff of some 2,600 PAL employees.  The PALEANs have been demanding in particular that a ‘midnignt decision’ issued by DOLE on June 15, 2010 be reversed.   

PALEA President Gerry Rivera, said the Order is in gross violation of the Labor Code and their existing collective bargaining agreement against labor contracting.

“The DOLE decision, if sustained by the present administration, will make labor contracting in the form of spin-off legal and therefore the contractualization of regular jobs.  Hindi po ito matuwid na landas, Pangulong Noy,” stated Rivera.

Rivera, who is also Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair, warned further that once sustained labor contractualization will be abused to the max, job security will be dead, and all benefits due to regular workers will disappear.

The June 15 decision held that, “the intended closure of the Philippine Airlines In-Flight Catering operations, Airport Services Operations and Call Center Reservation Operations and the consequent severance from employment of all affected employees as reported to the DOLE Regional Offices, as well as the contracting out of these operations to the named service providers, are based on lawful ground and all in a valid exercise of managerial prerogative and as such valid and lawful in all respects.”

The Partido ng Manggagawa meanwhile challenged the new administration to formulate a “labor-first policy” if it wants to depart from age-old cheap labor policy and the foreign investment-led job creation strategy.

“Walang boss na busabos (there is no such thing as a “deprived boss”),” concludes Magtubo, taking from P-Noy’s “kayo ang boss ko” declaration in his June 30 inaugural speech.

Comelec ruled on ‘intent of the Arroyos’ not on ‘intent of the law’–labor group

PRESS RELEASE
21 July 2010

The labor party-list group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) lambasted the Comelec for consistently erring on very important questions on party-list representations.

According to PM chair Renato Magtubo, the Comelec is making contempt of its own not only by making self-contradictory rulings but also on making itself highly vulnerable to suspicions that sans propriety, these rulings are nothing but political trade off if not an outright fiscal transaction.

“Had Kasangga party-list still had Lourdes Arroyo in its list of nominees, the Comelec could have granted it the same privilege as that of Ang Galing Pinoy whose nominee is the former presidential son, Mikey Arroyo,” explained Magtubo.

The labor group said it was obviously the “intent of the Arroyos” and other favoured groups and not the “intent of the party-list law” that were considered by the Comelec in issuing this shameful ruling.

“When Lourdes Arroyo said she wanted to represent the small vendors in the 14th Congress the Comelec said she can. And when Mikey said he wanted to become security guards’ party-list nominee in the 15th Congress the Comelec said he can. They wished and the Comelec understood it as their command,” protested Magtubo.

He said Comelec’s favourable ruling on Mikey Arroyo is totally bereft of wisdom and perhaps deliberately planned to sow more confusion in the party-list system, undermine its real purpose, to give credence to those who call for its abolition.

Guarding against impostors

Upon hearing the news of Mikey getting the nod of Comelec, a group of security guards wanted Mikey Arroyo’s proclamation challenged not only in court but also in public debates.

Pilo Rosete, a licensed security guard with more than 15 years of work experience in the field, said, “An impostor can sit well with representatives of employers and landlords in Congress but not with underpaid, unsecured security guards.”

Omar Pescadera, another security guard, said Mikey has never experienced the grueling 12-hour shifts that we normally do and surviving on minimum wages. “Our work as security guards usually involve protecting property from being stolen by thieves thus we also do not want our voice to be robbed by frauds,” he said. Pescadera lives in Dasmarinas, Cavite and has four years of work experience with his last year working as a guard in Cavite although he has recently been unemployed.

Supreme Court refuge

The Partido ng Manggagawa is planning to go to the Supreme Court to seek relief not only on the qualifications of a party-list nominee but also on the disqualification of several party-list groups. The group is now preparing a motion for intervention on the case filed earlier by another party-list group seeking the disqualification of more than a hundred party-list groups that do not represent marginalized sectors.

“We believe that the question on nominees has so much to do with the nature of the party they represent. If a nominee is an impostor, the party is most likely a sham,” concluded Magtubo.

PAL workers hold pre-SONA protest

Press Release
July 21, 2010

Some 300 members of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) held a pre-SONA rally this morning at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The PAL workers called on the new Secretary of Labor and Employment, Rosalinda Baldoz, to overturn the “midnight decision” by then Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman that found the illegal contracting out of jobs planned by Philippine Airlines to be “a valid exercise of management prerogative.”

“Lagman’s midnight decision was erroneous on both substantive and procedural grounds. Now that the ball is in her court, we call on Sec. Baldoz to exercise due process and right judgment in reversing the former Acting Secretary’s midnight decision,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) vice-chairperson.

The rally today was the first of several activities planned by PALEA and PM as buildup to the SONA on Monday. Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson, explained that “We are asking President Aquino to make concrete his promise that democracy should work for all by certifying a set of pro-labor reform bills as urgent in his SONA. Among these should be reforms to enhance job security and stop the proliferation of contractualization schemes.”

The PAL employees started the pre-SONA protest with a motorcade from the PALEA office in Tambo, Paranaque City. A delegation of supporters from PM joined the rally at DOLE.

PALEA filed a motion for reconsideration of the Lagman order and also petitioned President Noynoy Aquino for the new government to review the midnight decision. Among the 22-point “marching orders” given by President Aquino to Sec. Baldoz in the first cabinet meeting last June 30 was to re-evaluate the midnight decision given the importance of the dispute as a “litmus test” of the new government’s handling of labor-management relations.

Meanwhile the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), of which PALEA is an affiliate, sent a letter of concern to President Aquino regarding the labor dispute at PAL. In a letter dated July 16 and sent by email, ITF General Secretary David Cockroft urged the government to “act swiftly and decisively to facilitate an acceptable resolution to the intervene the PAL-PALEA row.”

The ITF letter further argued that “The dispute has arisen due to the apparent intention of the PAL management to implement mass dismissals and to contract out jobs being performed by regular employees. The ITF understands that these actions would be in breach of provisions against labor contracting and on job security contained within the company’s collective bargaining agreement. Apart from the huge social impact that such actions would have on the workers and their families, this move by the PAL management is also perceived as a union-busting measure given the fact that these employees are all PALEA members and include the union’s officers.”

The ITF represents more than 4.6 million transport workers in 759 unions across 155 countries, including 269 aviation unions with some 650,000 members.

Filipino teachers group receives US union’s Democracy Award

Press Release
July 11, 2010
Filipino Educators Federation of Louisiana

A newly formed Filipino teachers group based in Louisiana, USA received yesterday (July 9 US Pacific Time) a prestigious award conferred by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a large US-wide union of teachers and professionals.

In a national convention of the AFT, the Filipino Educators Federation of Louisiana (FEFL) was awarded the President’s International Democracy Award. This award was created two years ago by AFT “to highlight the continuing struggle for human rights around the world.”

In an earlier letter to FEFL informing of the award, AFT stated, “We have selected your organization for your perseverance in fighting against the abusive treatment of placement agencies, its dedication to promote the rights and welfare of all educators and migrants and its commitment to the democratic and legal system.”

In the letter addressed to Ingrid Jomento-Cruz, the founding President of FEFL, AFT further said “AFT leaders and staff have witnessed the immense courage you and your colleagues have displayed in the face of great adversity.”

Jomento-Cruz, also an active member of AFT, received the award in behalf of the Filipino teachers group. Jomento-Cruz and other Filipino teachers have been instrumental in organizing the efforts of Filipino migrant teachers against the abuses of their recruitment agency, Universal Placement International (UPI) and its Philippine-based counterpart, PARS International. Jomento-Cruz was also accorded as the International Honoree during the same event.

The efforts of the Filipino teachers in coordination with AFT and other groups resulted to initial legal victories including the decision by Louisiana Workforce Commission ordering UPI to refund up to $1.8 Million in fees to the teachers.

In her acceptance speech, Jomento-Cruz cited how AFT helped them revisit a Filipino virtue of Bayanihan. “It is most impressively displayed in the old tradition of neighbors helping a relocating family by getting enough volunteers to literally carry the house on their shoulders and moving it to its new and better location. And believe it or not, that act is done with happy, festive and unexpecting disposition. We can clearly see then that these heroes in the community collectively work and sacrifice for each other and be heroes to one another. In essence, Bayanihan is all but one with the spirit of Unionism.”

“AFT made us realized a strong message of being heroes in our own ways united as a potent force, unloading each other’s burden, pushing common goals and aspirations with pride and dignity,” added Jomento-Cruz.

The AFT convention, held in Seattle, Washington, is currently ongoing and is attended by more than 3,000 union members and guests from labor and union network all over world. Filipinos are well represented in the convention with Filipino migrant teachers as delegates from different states including Baltimore, Washington DC, California and Louisiana. International guests also include Philippine-based organizations; Annie Geron, Secretary General of Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK) and Ian Seruelo, US-Liaison Officer of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM). PM and PSLINK have been supporting the organizing, campaign and legal efforts of Filipino teachers.

The formation of FEFL earlier this year marked the unified and coordinated action by migrant Filipino teachers in Louisiana to push back against the exploitative practices of their placement agencies. The founding objectives of FEFL include the following: (1) To help Filipino teachers and workers who are victims of trafficking, oppressive forms of recruitment and unfair labor practices; (2) To implement campaigns to pursue justice and enforce the rights of migrant teachers and workers; (3) To advocate for the promotion of the welfare of migrant workers both in the US and in the Philippines, and (4) To raise public awareness about the plight of migrant teachers and workers as a whole.

Labor groups to engage Aquino government on contractualization demand

Press Release
July 10, 2010

A gathering of some 100 labor leaders and trade unionists yesterday afternoon resolved to engage the government of President Noynoy Aquino in the demand to defend job security and stop the proliferation of contractualization schemes. The labor forum was sparked by the ongoing labor dispute at the Philippines Airlines in which the PAL Employees’ Association (PALEA) is fighting management’s alleged illegal contracting out of regular work.

Gerry Rivera, PALEA president, said that “We welcome the solidarity of the different labor groups in our fight against contractualization at PAL. We pledge too to support the common call of reforming the policy on contractualization.” The groups which attended the forum plan to mobilize for the coming State of the Nation Address to highlight the demand against labor contractualization.

Rivera added that “We appreciate P-Noy’s order for the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to review and evaluate the midnight decision on the PAL dispute. The PAL dispute will not only be a litmus test of the Aquino government’s handling of labor management relations. It will also be an acid test of the task of cleansing the DOLE of corrupt officials and reforming the policy on labor contractualization.”

Renato Magtubo, chairperson of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), explained that “The epidemic of contractualization is a result of failure in both policy and enforcement. There are glaring loopholes in the law that have been abused by employers to wipe out regular jobs and replace them with contractual workers that have less in wages and benefits and enjoy no security of tenure. Management is allowed by law to contract out jobs that are necessary and desirable to the business of the company. This has been interpreted to mean that practically all jobs can be outsourced, not just janitorial or security services. Thus you find factories and malls in which contractual workers outnumber regular workers several times over while all do the same job.”

Magtubo argued that “We are challenging P-Noy to make concrete his promise that democracy should work for all by certifying a set of pro-labor reform bills as urgent in his SONA. We welcome the 22-point labor platform of the Aquino administration as announced by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. The 22-point platform is a good first step and militant workers are open to engaging with new President and the new Labor Secretary to make the promise of reform a reality.”

The labor forum was hosted by the Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon ng Pilipinas (MKP), the union of PLDT rank-and-file workers, at their office in Crossing, Mandaluyong. Aside from PALEA and MKP, other groups such as the PM, Makabayan, Alliance of Progressive Labor, United Filipino Service Workers, Alliance of Genuine Labor Organizations, United Cavite Workers Association, Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Paranaque, Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Antipolo and the former union of PNCC employees the joined the forum.

Labor group calls on ABS-CBN to regularize workers without conditions

Press Release
July 1, 2010

The militant labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today called on the media network ABS-CBN to respect labor rights and regularize its workers without conditions. “The leaders of the ABS-CBN Internal Job Market Workers Union who have been terminated for refusing to sign waivers must be accepted back to work. We support the workers’ demand that ABS-CBN management regularize its contractual workforce without discrimination and without conditions. ABS-CBN should treat its workers as kapamilyas instead of strangers,” stated Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

The support from PM came two days after the National Union of Journalist in the Philippines (NUJP) expressed alarm over the mass termination at ABS-CBN. The ABS-CBN Internal Job Market Workers Union (IJMWU) has been waging a fight to regularize more than 1,000 contractual employees and win recognition as a bargaining agent.

PM also appealed to newly installed President Noynoy Aquino to review and reform the policy on labor contractualization. “The labor disputes at giant companies like Philippine Airlines (PAL) and ABS-CBN are rooted in the epidemic of contractualization. For democracy to work for all and not just a few—as P-Noy as promised—then the right to job security must be guaranteed and the loopholes of the Labor Code must be closed by this government,” Miranda argued.

The group announced its willingness to help the fight of the ABS-CBN IWJWU and cooperate with the NUJP on defending workers rights in the media industry. PM is supporting the struggle of PAL union against management’s attempt to lay-off some 3,000 employees by illegally contracting out work.

Miranda added that “Evidently ABS-CBN is disguising its employee-employer relationships with workers by categorizing them in the internal job market or calling them contractual talents. The aim is obviously to circumvent labor standards and deny ABS-CBN workers security of tenure and benefits due regular workers.”

PM revealed that one of their demands for the coming State of the Nation Address is for President Aquino to certify as urgent a bill to strengthen security of tenure and limit the discretion of employers to abuse labor contractualization. “Militant labor will lobby Congress once opens in July for a bill to protect workers’ security of tenure,” Miranda explained.