Post-Women’s Day Action: Women workers lead caravan to Cavite vs. high prices, endo jobs

Press Release

March 10, 2012

PALEA

Women members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Rosario Workers Association (RWA) and United Cavite Workers Association (UCWA) led a caravan today against high prices and contractual work.

The caravan vs. high prices and endo (end of contract) jobs is an extension of the observance of International Women’s Day and an anticipation of the Labor Day commemoration. “The high cost of living and the proliferation of contractual work is a double whammy on workers in general and women in particular,” asserted Arlene Ladimo of PALEA Women’s Committee.

PM is proposing that government end the policy of deregulation of the oil industry to control the runaway prices and renationalize Petron to promote competition among the big players.

The caravan left the PALEA protest camp at the In-Flight Center of Philippine Airlines (PAL) at noon and passed through the densely populated areas of Paranaque, Las Pinas, Bacoor and Noveleta before finishing at the industrial town of Rosario. A highlight of the caravan was the salubungan around 2:00 pm at the main gate of the Cavite Ecozone where Cavite workers organized by the RWA and UCWA met the contingent from Metro Manila.

“The three demands of women workers last Women’s Day and for Labor Day as well are the lowering of prices, an end to endo jobs and additional budget for social services. These measures will lighten the double burden of women workers who not only labor in their places of work but also slave in unpaid domestic work in their houses,” explained Judy Ann Miranda, PM Secretary-general.

Next week PALEA continues with mass actions in time for the 71^st anniversary of PAL on March 15. The union is planning rallies at PAL offices and the Allied Bank building in Ayala where Lucio Tan holds office.

“PNoy believed the spin that PAL is losing money and thus allowed the mass layoff and job outsourcing plan despite the flag carrier’s P3 billion profit in its latest fiscal year. Now it is as clear as day that Lucio Tan instead of becoming poorer has become even richer to the tune of $3.5 billion from last year’s $2.8 billion as per the Forbes list of billionaires. But Lucio Tan wants to catch up with Henry Sy, the richest Filipino and number one promoter of contractualization, by implementing the outsourcing scam at PAL,” insisted Ladino.