Labor groups ask Korean government to take action on Hanjin’s labor rights violations in PH

PRESS RELEASE

29 June 2001

Labor groups belonging to an anti-contractualization group Koalisyon Laban sa Kontraktwalisasyon (Kontra), trooped to the Korean embassy in Makati City this morning to ask the Korean government to take immediate action on the growing number of employees’ deaths and accidents at Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines, a South Korean owned shipyard located northwest of Manila.

“We urge the South Korean government to guide its shipbuilders operating abroad to strictly comply with safety regulations and other labor standards to avoid their shipyards being labelled as ‘graveyards of workers’ rights’ by the international labor community,” stated Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

Labor groups in the country are getting more incensed with the unabated cases of deaths and accidents at Hanjin, many of them reported and documented yet largely ignored by the company and government officials.  Aside from this, there are other major violations of labor standards at the shipyard that warrant immediate action from the government.

Miranda said the latest count puts the number of work related deaths at Hanjin to 31; 11 cases of maltreatment by Korean superiors; 63 illegal termination; and 20 illegal suspension. 

The giant shipyard also implements massive contractualization of its entire workforce, with 21,000 workers hired as contractual employees from 19 sub-contractors. It is the fourth largest ship-builder in the world, investing at least a billion dollars in the country. 

But the shipyard earned notoriety for its accident record and labor standard violations, prompting the Philippine Senate to conduct an inquiry.  The inquiry saw many lapses in safety and violated labor laws.  Unfortunately there was no sanction imposed on Hanjin.  Hence, accidents continued afterwards while strong-arm management rule reign upon its workers. Media coverage is also not allowed in the complex.

Miranda added that, “While we are not opposed to the entry of foreign investments in the country, the leniency extended towards Hanjin by the Philippine government should not be viewed by the Korean capitalists as a free ticket to maximum exploitation of Filipino labor.”

President Benigno Aquino III himself thanked Hanjin for investing some P24.2-B worth of investment in the country. 

“But that is no reason for the government to sleep on its job in enforcing safety and other labor standards in the country,” said Miranda. 

On July 3 the groups leading today’s rally will hold a “Caravan for Decent Jobs and Humane Working Conditions.” The caravan will proceed from Manila to Subic in order to highlight the dire plight of contractual workers especially in Hanjin.

The group said the government must review Hanjin and its contractors for compliance with safety regulations, payment of wages and benefits, observance of working hours, among others.

PM slams richest Filipinos as kings of contractualization

Press Release

June 24, 2011

In reaction to the news about the richest Filipinos on the Forbes list of billionaires, the militant Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called the top three—Henry Sy, Lucio Tan and John Gokongwei—as “kings of contractualization.” Renato Magtubo, PM national chair, argued that “While Forbes asserts that the booming stock market has increased the wealth of the richest Filipinos, we believe that their base income is the windfall profit from contractualization. Their flagship companies, SM of Henry Sy, Philippine Airlines (PAL) of Lucio Tan and Robinsons Malls of Gokongwei, are well-known as exponents of contractual employment and labor outsourcing.”

Gerry Rivera, president of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) and vice chair of PM, stated that Tan has become the second wealthiest Filipino by outsourcing and other violations of labor rights. “Despite the bountiful fruits of production, Lucio Tan as owner of PAL refuses to share with his workers through a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and plans to squeeze even more profit from employees through contractualization,” he declared.

“As these rich Filipinos grow fat from contractualization, workers wages and benefits are getting thin in proportion,” insisted Magtubo. Magtubo and Rivera both called on President Benigno Aquino III to support the security of tenure (SOT) bill pending in Congress in his forthcoming State of the Nation speech.

PM and PALEA are supporting the bill that seeks to regulate the rampant practice of contractual employment and promises to be as controversial as the RH bill once it is tabled for plenary debates. The SOT bill has been passed by the House Labor Committee and is due to be scheduled for second reading in Congress.

Rivera added that “But $2.8 billion in wealth is not enough for Lucio Tan. The mother of all outsourcing scheme is in the offing, with 2,600 employees to be laidoff and made contractuals in SkyLogistics and SkyKitchen which are owned by Manny Osmena but, as journalist Raissa Robles pointed out in her expose, is just fronting for Lucio Tan. Further PAL wants an indefinite CBA moratorium on top of the 12-year suspension in negotiations. So while PAL workers have not been able to improve their wages and benefits via a new CBA, Lucio Tan’s pockets have been bulging.”

 “All through the years that PAL was losing, Lucio Tan has been getting richer. His get-rich-quick formula is nothing else but to cheapen labor costs by outsourcing the profitable units of PAL to third-party providers, such as Lufthansa Technik and MacroAsia, in which he has a stake,” Rivera explained.

PM challenges PNoy to protect labor rights at Hanjin

Press Release

June 20, 2011

The militant labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) challenged President Benigno Aquino III to uphold and protect workers rights at the giant Hanjin shipyard in Subic, Zambales as complaints mounted of violations of labor and safety standards. Dozens of members of PM and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) joined the Church-Labor Conference, an alliance of labor and religious organizations that is co-chaired by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, in a rally this morning at Mendiola in Manila.

“The Hanjin shipyard is a graveyard of workers. While capitalists are scrimping on protection for workers and the government is sleeping on its job of enforcement, workers are dying in the workplace. Hanjin’s crooked path must be set straight by PNoy. Instead of beating war drums over the Spratlys it is better that PNoy wage war for workers rights at Subic,” insisted Renato Magtubo, PM chair.

On July 3 the groups leading today’s rally will hold a “Caravan for Decent Jobs and Humane Working Conditions.” The caravan will proceed from Manila to Subic in order to highlight the dire plight of contractual workers especially in Hanjin.

“PALEA supports our brothers in Hanjin who are seeking the redress of the same grievances as Philippine Airlines employees, which is contractualization and union busting. From airlines to shipyards, contractualization is wrecking havoc on the working and living conditions of workers. Ang laban ng manggagawa ng Hanjin ay laban ng PALEA,” exclaimed Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and PM vice chair.

PM also called for stronger labor enforcement and labor inspection reforms by the government in response to at least 26 deaths at the Hanjin shipyard and the rampant contractualization at the shipyard. “Accidents are not acts of divine providence that can be dismissed as unavoidable. Instead accidents are the result of unsafe acts and therefore preventable by strict enforcement of occupational safety and health and labor standards,” Magtubo claimed.

He added that “PNoy’s government must review Hanjin and its contractors for compliance not just with safety regulations but labor standards such as payment of minimum wages and benefits, observance of working hours and remittance of social security among others. Construction workers are among the most overworked yet underpaid of employees since they are generally unorganized.” Some 21,000 laborers work in the Hanjin shipyard but just a few hundred are claimed by the giant multinational as its employees since the all almost are hired by 19 subcontractors.

PM calls on PNoy to certify Kasambahay bill as urgent

Press Release

June 18, 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today called on President Benigno Aquino III to certify as urgent legislation the Kasambahay bill pending at the House of Representatives. “PNoy should led the housekeeping chore and push decisively for the passage of the Kasambahay bill so that the Philippines can ratify the Domestic Workers Convention. If PNoy will give the marching orders to the House majority, there is no reason for the Kasambahay bill not to be passed,” argued Renato Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that “Domestic workers at home and aboard deserve to be treated as workers not slaves that should enjoy the mantle of protection of core labor standards. For too long, domestic workers have labored without the rights, benefits and protection enjoyed by other workers.”

PM welcomed the International Labor Organization’s adoption of the Domestic Workers convention as a “beachhead in the battle to win protection for domestic workers.” PM has been pushing for multilateral and bilateral labor agreements to safeguard the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers.

Magtubo also appealed to the House Labor Committee to fast track the hearing for the Kasambahay bill. “We expect the members of the House LaborCom who were labor’s allies in shepherding the Security of Tenure bill to show the same political will to push the Kasambahay bill,” Magtubo asserted. The security of tenure bill that provides stricter regulation of contractual employment has been reported out by the House LaborCom but has yet to be scheduled for plenary debate.

The group however insisted that despite the landmark ILO treaty, Filipino domestic workers abroad will still face numerous threats. PM is calling for an end to the deregulation of the labor export industry and for greater government regulation of labor migration.

“The case of the Filipino migrant teacher in Louisiana shows that even professionals not just unskilled domestic workers can fall victim to illegal recruiters because of sheer desperation and the gaping cracks in government regulation of labor export,” Magtubo explained. PM is assisting a group of Filipino migrant teachers in Louisiana in the USA to win justice against their illegal recruiters based in the Philippine and America.

PALEA holds motorcade vs. temporary outsourcing plan

Press Release

June 13, 2011

PALEA

Dark clouds are gathering over the airport as another dispute over a temporary outsourcing arrangement threatens the tense calm between the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the union Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA). In a sign of renewed stormy labor relations, PALEA held a motorcade this afternoon to protest PAL’s plan to hire on June 16 contractual workers from Lucio Tan-owned service provider MacroAsia.

“We are ready to defend our jobs and the union if PAL does not back down from deploying contractual workers on Thursday. We call on PALEA members to remain vigilant until there is a firm commitment from PAL for direct hiring instead of temporary outsourcing,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair. As of today no agreement has been reached by management and the union on the issue.

PALEA members assembled by 2:30 p.m. at their headquarters in Paranaque for the protest action. The motorcade then proceeded to PAL’s In-Flight Center near the Centennial Terminal and then on to the Nichols gate where other company offices are located.

The national flag carrier is facing an acute manpower shortage for passenger handling due to the exodus of customer service agents who have sought greener pastures abroad. PAL asked PALEA for cooperation in allowing MacroAsia to work the departure gates for a period of six months.

The union immediately rejected the plan but offered to help in rehiring former PAL employees and recalling trainees who were not hired due to a freeze hiring program. Last June 9 PALEA submitted a partial list of people interested in the position of customer service agents.

The embattled union considers the temporary outsourcing plan a “backdoor implementation” of the controversial contractualization plan at PAL. The legality of the contractualization scheme is pending on appeal at the Office of the President while a related but separate case regarding PAL’s refusal to bargain with PALEA is due for decision at the National Labor Relations Commission. PALEA is also coordinating with the global union International Transport Workers Federation for a complaint to be filed at the International Labor Organization against the Philippine government and PAL management for violation of conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining.

PALEA is arguing that the temporary outsourcing of regular jobs to MacroAsia is a violation of the April 1 order of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz enjoining management and the union from engaging in any act that will exacerbate the labor dispute at PAL. Baldoz had imposed an assumption of jurisdiction order on the labor row at PAL which stopped PALEA from a planned strike last April.

Labor dispute erupts anew at PAL

Press Release

June 12, 2011

PALEA

Labor relations at Philippine Airlines (PAL) promises to become stormy again like the weather as the union Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) is opposing the national flag carrier’s plan to employ contractual workers of a service provider on June 16. PALEA returns to the streets tomorrow with a motorcade around the airport area to drum up resistance to the planned outsourcing.

“PALEA considers the temporary outsourcing of regular jobs to MacroAsia as a backdoor implementation of the controversial contractualization plan and a violation of the April 1 order of the Labor Secretary enjoining management and the union from engaging in any act that will exacerbate the labor dispute at PAL. If PAL pushes through with the plan on June 16, we will act accordingly to defend our jobs and the union,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair.

Last April 1, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz imposed an assumption of jurisdiction order on the labor dispute at PAL which stopped PALEA from a planned strike and also enjoined the two parties from any acts that will worsen the labor dispute.

At 2:30 pm tomorrow, PALEA members will assemble at their headquarters in Paranaque for the motorcade that will proceed to PAL’s In-Flight Center near the Centennial Terminal and then on to the Nichols gate where other company offices are located.

“Tomorrow’s motorcade is just a preview of protests that will culminate on Thursday should PAL carry on with its de facto outsourcing plan despite our opposition and the Labor Secretary’s order,” insisted Rivera.

Last May 30, PAL informed PALEA of an acute manpower shortage for passenger handling due to the exodus of customer service agents who have sought greener pastures abroad and asked for the union’s cooperation in allowing MacroAsia to work the departure gates for a period of six months. PALEA rejected outright the proposal and suggested instead that the vacant positions be filled up by direct hiring instead of outsourcing to a service provider. PALEA even offered to help in rehiring former PAL employees and recalling trainees who were not hired due to a freeze hiring program.

Discussions between PAL and PALEA on these stop gap measures proceeded and last June 9 the union submitted a partial list of people interested in the position of customer service agents. “PALEA has extended the hand of assistance in solving the company’s manpower shortage. We expect that PAL will shake our hands in return instead of stabbing us in the back by outsourcing regular positions to contractual workers,” Rivera averred.

TRUCK WORKERS LAUNCH PROTEST STRIKE AGAINST HARBOUR-LINK MANAGEMENT

PRESS RELEASE

6 June 2011

UNITED PANAY & ILOILO TRUCK DRIVERS ASSOCIATION

 

The truck drivers of Harbour-Link Transport, Inc. launched protest action today in front of its office and motor pool located at Brgy. Banoyao along coastal road in La Paz , Iloilo City .

The 15 drivers were joined by their families in the protest expressing disgust over Harbour-Link management’s continued to refusal to provide them of incentives, such as; 13th month pay, service incentive leave pay, and holiday pay since 2004.

According to Elmer Blancaflor, spokesperson of the drivers, “we have not been receiving these incentive pay since 2004 and we call on the management to settle its obligations to us especially in these times of desperate need with the opening of the classes.”

“These incentives are law mandated and consistent in upholding the labor standards in the workplace. We are only asking from the management what is due for us,” stressed Blancaflor.

Moreover, the drivers are likewise demanding that the management reinstate them back to work after they were unjustly relieved of driving duties by gathering from them the truck keys the day after they lodged a complaint at the regional office of National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).  

The filing of complaint is a necessary legal step that we took in order for the management to realize that they cannot abandon their obligations to their workers and to formalize our demand on the proper venue. The management however seem displeased by our actions thus relieved us from our work,” explained by Blancaflor.    

The truck drivers of Harbour-Link Transport are members of the United Panay and Iloilo Truck Drivers Association (UPTDA), a group of Class “A” licensed and skilled drivers from different companies in the container van and forwarding industry formed by Partido ng Manggagawa (PM Panay-Guimaras).

Cito Cordero, president of UPTDA explained that “if the management and legal counsel of Harbour-Link are guided by the labor standards set forth by our labor laws then they are aware that they deliberately committed “constructive dismissal” after they relieved the drivers of driving duties following their filing of a complaint.”

“This is a clear violation against the driver-workers. A management who is aware of its responsibilities yet has engaged itself in violating it is also committing abuse to its workers,” said Cordero.

The management must realize that we, the workers, are the lifeblood of our industries and of our economy and nation. What they are doing anti-workers and unacceptable to the working class,” criticized Cordero.

For his part, Ronald Payda, coordinator of PM Panay-Guimaras shared that the management of Harbour-Link cannot just exercise its “management prerogative” anytime they see fit.’

Payda averred, that there are parameters provided on how management can address the problems of its workers putting limitations to management prerogatives. I urge their lawyer, Atty. Jose Junio Jacela to refresh his memory regarding fair labor practices by reviewing his labor law.”

“We call on all our fellow workers to unite and support the cause of Harbour-Link drivers. Our unity is the only weapon that we have in our hands as we push for our collective demand for proper compensations and benefits, concluded Payda.