Thursday, April 30, 2015

Labor Day rally kickoff: “Laban ko ‘to—edukasyon, trabaho, sahod” say youth & young workers

MEDIA ADVISORY
May 1, 2015

WHAT: Youth and young workers mini-rally
WHEN: Today, May 1, 2015, 7:00 a.m.
WHERE: Welcome Rotonda
DETAILS: Some 200 youth and young workers to kickoff the nationwide Labor Day rallies today with a mini-rally at Welcome Rotonda. They will carry gloves to symbolize the will to knockout high education costs, unemployment, contractualization and cheap labor. They will also chant “Laban ko ‘to! Libreng Edukasyon! Trabahong Regular! Sweldong Sapat!” Also they will bring colorful umbrellas with slogans of labor demands.
            Manila: Nagkaisa will lead a 20,000-strong rally in the morning. Assembly along Espana then march to and program in Mendiola until noon. PM contingent, including youth and young workers who are staging a vigil today, will join the Nagkaisa rally.
Cavite: Local labor groups United Cavite Workers Association, Rosario Workers Association and the Tae Sung Employees Association will march tomorrow morning from Tejero Convention Center to EPZA for a short program and then move on to the Rosario City Hall for a noontime dialogue with Mayor Nonong Ricafrente.
Cebu: March along downtown Colon by several thousand workers from Nagkaisa groups PM, Sentro and ALU-TUCP.
Bacolod: Presscon by local labor coalition Genuine Alliance of Workers Associations (GAWA) in the morning. A thousand workers will assemble at Coca-Cola plant at noon and then march to Bacolod Rotonda.
Iloilo: Forum on BPO workers conditions in the morning and then indoor activity by PM leaders and members in the afternoon.
Davao: Several hundred protesters will hold program at Orcullo Park starting at 8 a.m. and the march along Ponciano, Rizal, Claveria Sts. And back to Orcullo Park at Roxas Blvd.

General Santos City: Nagkaisa rally together with retrenched Citra Mina workers.

Youth from working class families speak out: #No more Mary Janes!

Press Release
April 30, 2015
Some 200 members of Partido Manggagawa’s youth wing, the Partido Manggagawa sa Kabataan (PM-K) trooped to Mendiola on the eve of Labor Day to demand an end to policies that drove many Mary Janes to suffer the harsh world of human trafficking and exploitation abroad.
 The group said that while the youth were happy that Mary Jane Veloso was spared from execution in Indonesia, the existing government policies, if not rectified, will recurrently produce more Mary Janes as long as chronic unemployment and low wages prevail in the country. 
 Ryan Bocacao, PM-K spokesperson, said the youth, especially those coming from working families, can easily identify with the story of Mary Jane because it is abject poverty that drove her to bravely face the harsh world of work here and abroad.
 “Until her supposed final moments on earth, we saw from Mary Jane the courage typical to all our OFWs.  They are all risk takers.  Some of them may have fallen victims to syndicates and cruel employers, but all these came from their decision to save their families from chronic poverty which they believed is a long failed agenda of the government,” said Bocacao.
 The youth of today, he explained, is suffering from the same predicaments, of finishing school and landing a good job, because of unsound policies of the government both on education and employment.
 “The youth cries for justice for Mary Jane. We cry the same for the 20 million youth whose dreams for a better life is crumbling along the way because of bad government policies,” added Bocacao.
 PM-K members who participated in the Mendiola action and a vigil afterwards at the Holy Trinity Parish Church in Sampaloc include young workers who have attended job fairs but remain unemployed; youth working in sweatshops in NCR; young workers in factories of Calabarzon; college students enduring high cost of education and graduating high school students who cannot afford college education.
 They are demanding free education, living wage, regular employment and an end to the contractualization policy.
 “Many poor students drop out of school during high school and college because of financial constraints on the part of their parents.  This problem imposes a devastating impact on the youth’s transition to the world work as lack of higher education relegates them to low paying unskilled jobs or worst, to chronic unemployment,” said Bocacao.

 It was reported that Mary Jane did not finish her high school because of poverty.  And in most cases, risky domestic works abroad are the only jobs available to poor women coming from the Philippines. Hundreds of PM-K members are joining the Labor Day march tomorrow.

Labor Day buildup activity: Youth march and vigil for education and jobs today

Media Advisory
Partido Manggagawa sa Kabataan

WHAT: Youth and young workers to hold march and vigil on eve of Labor Day
WHEN: Today, April 30, 2015; 5:00 p.m. assembly; 6:00 p.m. program; 7:00 p.m. march
WHERE: Assembly @ Morayta; Program @ Mendiola; March along Espana and Vigil @ Holy Trinity Parish in Balic-Balic
DETAILS: Some 150 members of Partido Manggagawa sa Kabataan (PMK), the youth wing of Partido Manggagawa, will participate in the Labor Day eve activity. The main call of the march and vigil will be “Baguhin ang sistema sa edukasyon at trabaho para walang bagong Mary Jane. Libreng edukasyon. Regular na trabaho para sa lahat.” The PMK members will hold an overnight vigil and attend the big May 1 mobilization of Nagkaisa.
Participants to the PMK event will be senior high school and college students, out-of-school youth and young workers. Interview opportunities on plight of youth and young workers, such as:
1.     Young workers who have attended job fairs but remain unemployed
2.     Youth working in sweatshops in NCR
3.     Young workers in factories of Calabarzon
4.     College students enduring high education costs

5.     Graduating high school students who cannot afford college education.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Mary Jane lives, but will existing government policies save our youth?

NEWS RELEASE
Paratido Manggagawa sa Kabataan
29 April 2015
 
Members of Partido Manggagawa’s youth wing, the Partido Manggagawa sa Kabataan (PM-K) are happy that Mary Jane Veloso was spared from execution in Indonesia.  But a major question lies at the back of their minds: Will existing government policies save the youth from the predicaments being suffered by Mary Jane and many other OFWs?
 
Ryan Bocacao, PM-K spokesperson, said the youth, especially those coming from working families, can easily identify with the story of Mary Jane because it is abject poverty that drives her to bravely face the precarious world of work here and abroad.
 
“Until her supposed final moments on earth, we saw from Mary Jane the courage typical to all our OFWs.  They are all risk takers.  Some of them may have fallen victims to syndicates and cruel employers, but all these came from their decision to save their families from chronic poverty which they believed is a long failed agenda of the government,” said Bocacao.
 
The youth of today, the group explained, is suffering from the same predicaments of finishing school and landing a good job because of unsound policies of the government both on education and employment.
 
PM-K members will lead a protest action tomorrow afternoon in Mendiola to raise the demand for free education and decent work for all. Participants to the PM-K event will be senior high school and college students, out-of-school youth and young workers who who have attended job fairs but remain unemployed; working in sweatshops in NCR; workers in factories of Calabarzon; college students enduring education costs; and, graduating high school students who cannot afford college education.
 
“Many poor students drop out of school during high school and college because of financial constraints on the part of their parents.  This problem had a big impact on the youth’s transition to the world work as lack of higher education relegates them to low paying unskilled jobs or worst, to chronic unemployment,” said Bocacao.
 
More than half (52%) of the youth’s population (age group 18-24) are unemployed, according to the Social Weather Station (SWS).
 
It was reported that Mary Jane did not even finish her high school because of poverty.  In most cases, risky domestic works abroad are the only jobs available to poor women coming from the Philippines.
 
Hundreds of PM-K members are joining the Labor Day march to Malacanang.

Labor Day strike in Cebu? DOLE asked to respect KEPCO workers right to strike over low pay, union busting

Press Release
April 29, 2015

The labor party Partido Manggagawa (PM) today called on Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to “stay” its use of assumption of jurisdiction powers as requested by the management of KEPCO-Salcon Power Corp. in Naga, Cebu. “We call on Secretary Baldoz to give a reprieve to the KEPCO unions so that they can exercise their right to strike against low pay and union busting. We hope Sec. Baldoz will remain true to her word that government intervention in labor disputes is now a thing of the past,” asserted PM chair Rene Magtubo.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla has said that a power outage may hit Mactan City and the island of Negros should a strike push through at the 200MW KEPCO power plant. However, PM avers that KEPCO is refusing to meet its workers demands as it expects that the planned strike will be stopped through an assumption of jurisdiction (AJ) order.

The rank-and-file and supervisory workers who are affiliated to WSN-Sentro can hold a strike as early as tomorrow but the unions will still attend a mediation hearing scheduled tomorrow morning. They are also meeting the Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III today.

“The rank-and-file and supervisory KEPCO unions have already offered to avert a strike by narrowing its main demand to the reinstatement of union leaders fired because of union activities. But we suspect management is still playing hardball as it expects an AJ order against the unions,” insisted Magtubo.

He added that “We ask KEPCO to moderate its greed. The power industry is the most profitable sector of the economy with the richest Filipinos and foreign investors like Korea’s KEPCO engaged in an industry that is structured in such a way that there is no possible way to lose money. Every cent of business expense is passed on to consumers, mainly the middle class and the working poor, thus we have one of the most expensive electricity rates in world.”

PM avers that productivity in the power sector is the highest of all industries yet the fruits of labor appear not as wages for workers but as profit for capitalists. “According to the Census of Philippine Business and Industry in 2012, the power industry’s labor productivity is at PhP 4 million annually per worker. In contrast, KEPCO rank-and-file workers receive an average of just PhP 13,000 per month or PhP 169,000 per year. Thus workers wages at KEPCO amounts to just 4% of the industry’s labor productivity,” Magtubo explained.


He asserted that “The meager wages of KEPCO workers was the motive for them to unionize and bargain as a means of enhancing their working and living standards. But rather than respect labor’s right to self-organization and collective negotiations, KEPCO is busting the supervisors union and harassing rank-and-file workers whose union has already been certified as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent.”

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Protesters going back to Asiapro Cooperative

MEDIA ADVISORY
NAGKAISA!
28 April 2015

REQUEST FOR COVERAGE

Protesters going back to Asiapro Cooperative

Members of Nagkaisa! labor coalition is going back to Asiapro Cooperative as part of the workers’ continuing protest against labor contractualization.
  
APRIL 29, 2015
10:00 AM, Asiapro Bldg. San Rafael St.
Bgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Asiapro is the biggest manpower cooperative in the country that supplies thousands of contractual workers to several companies nationwide.

In retaliation to the protest action last year, Asiapro filed libel cases against some of the leaders of Nagkaisa.


No dialogue with PNoy on May 1 – labor coalition

NEWS RELEASE
NAGKAISA!
27 April 2015

President Aquino has failed the workers during the last five years and nothing more can be expected from the remaining 14 months in office for this administration.  For this reason, Nagkaisa, the country’s largest coalition of trade union federations and labor organizations, is terminating its regular dialogue with the President being done every Labor Day since 2012.
“No more breakfast or luncheon meeting with the President this coming May 1. The last three years of engagement satisfied the form but produced no substance,” declared Nagkaisa in a press conference held Monday in Manila
On Labor Day the group will rather concentrate all its forces for the big March to Malacanang to seek justice for the 40 million workers whose fight for jobs and job security, living wage, trade union rights and decent working and living conditions remain unheeded.  A cry for justice, which they say, will extend until the next regimes.
Women leaders who composed Nagkaisa’s main panel for the press conference shared the group’s general assessment of the Aquino administration that was held the other day and declared “walang naituwid at walang naitawid” during PNoy’s five years in office.
Open doors but close minds
Nagkaisa said that since 2012, the group has sincerely pursued dialogues with the Palace, hoping that issues brought directly to the President might speed up the resolution of age-old problems besetting labor. 
“We have proven otherwise that while the Palace doors are open for dialogue, the people in power inside maintains a close mind with regard to proposed changes on policies being pursued by labor,” explained the group.
These include Nagkaisa’s demand for the President to certify as urgent the Security of Tenure bill to address the plague of contractualization that destroys job security and union rights. 
The Palace played deaf on this demand while maintaining a ‘kid gloves’ policy in dealing with big companies as well as the proliferation of manpower agencies and cooperatives involved in outsourcing and labor-only contracting activities.
Starvation wages
The government has also failed to raise workers’ wages from the barest minimum despite record growth in the economy.
“The combined wealth of the country’s richest businessmen has grown by ten-fold yet workers’ wages remained at starvation levels,” said Nagkaisa.
The real value of the NCR minimum wage of P466 is P354 only while a family of five need more than a thousand pesos living wage to enjoy a decent life.
Nagkaisa likewise demanded a reduction in power rates with concrete proposals on how to do it.  But Malacanang stood powerless in the face of private power. Had the Supreme Court not issued a TRO for the P4/kWh spike in prices last year, the Philippines could have stolen the record of having the highest electricity rates in the world.
City lands for developers
The Aquino government has adopted a program for socialized housing that entertains housing projects through a “people’s proposal”.  But Nagkaisa said the program is very selective and limited while most of city lands were appropriated not for socialized housing but for the real estate business of giant land developers.
Urban development are not for the urban poor but virtually a fight between the Ayalas, Henry Sy, Lucio Tan, Gokongwei, Andrew Tan, Consunji, George Ty and Manny Villar.
Mary Jane
According to Nagkaisa, the sad fate of Mary Jane Veloso represents an individual tragedy resulting from the country’s chronic unemployment problem. 
“Her story is an added statistics to the long list of OFWs who braved the challenges of foreign lands in search for jobs but suffered tragic ends either from the cruel hands of employers or from the treacherous hands of organized syndicates or get caught in between wars of conflict,” said Nagkaisa.
There is no dramatic change in the unemployment rate under PNoy, said Nagkaisa. In fact, the unemployment rate of 7.5% in 2014 is higher than the unemployment rates of 5.2% in 1976, 6.7% in 1986, and 7.3% when PNoy assumed office in 2010.
Unemployment is also highest among youth (52% in SWS survey) while participation rate of women in the labor force remained flat for half of its population of 15 years and above.
Poor state, high prices of goods and services
Besides problems of unemployment and precarious working conditions, the poor state and high prices of basic goods and services such as power and water, transportation, healthcare and education weigh heavily on the lives of millions of workers.

And in the face of this generalized condition of the toiling masses, Nagkaisa said the only thing the Aquino administration can do for the workers is to mobilize its powers in organizing nationwide job fairs on Labor Day.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Workers to hold vigil for Mary Jane Veloso

MEDIA ADVISORY
28 April 2015


The Nagkaisa! labor coalition is joining the Filipino people in the call to save Mary Jane Veloso’s life.

APRIL 28, 2015
3:00 PM @ Mabuhay Welcome Rotonda

Jakarta had set April 28, 2015 as the date of execution of Mary Jane Veloso and seven other foreign nationals convicted of drug crimes in Indonesia.

NAGKAISA believes Mary Jane was a victim of a drug syndicate and her fate a painful consequence of the country’s chronic unemployment problem - an issue that will be raised by workers on the planned Labor Day protests.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Labor group to Petilla: Ask KEPCO to grant workers demands to avert strike

Press Release
April 23, 2015

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla to ask the management of KEPCO-Salcon Power Corp. in Cebu to grant the demands of its workers in order to resolve the labor dispute. Petilla was quoted a few days ago as appealing to KEPCO workers not to proceed with a planned strike.

Yesterday KEPCO workers voted to hold a strike. PM announced its solidarity with the KEPCO workers and that the resolution of the labor dispute is among the demands for the coming Labor Day mobilization.

“If Secretary Petilla wants to solve the problem at KEPCO, he must focus on the cause not the effect. KEPCO workers’ legitimate use of the right to strike is simply a reaction to the union busting and unfair labor practice of its management. Petilla’s energy is better used exerting moral suasion on KEPCO to respect labor rights and start bargaining with the unions to improve workers wages and working conditions,” argued Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that “We ask KEPCO to moderate its greed. The power industry is the most profitable sector of the economy with the richest Filipinos and foreign investors like Korea’s KEPCO engaged in an industry that is structured in such a way that there is no possible way to lose money. Every cent of business expense is passed on to consumers, such as the middle class and the working poor, thus we have one of the most expensive electricity rates in world.”

Last week KEPCO workers together with supporters from PM and the labor center Sentro held a protest at the Naga, Cebu plant of KEPCO. The rank-and-file union KEPCO Cebu Employees Association and supervisors union KEPCO Cebu Supervisors Association, both affiliated to WSN-Sentro, filed notices of strike for unfair labor practice and union busting respectively last April 8.

PM avers that labor productivity in the power sector is the highest of all industries yet the fruits of labor appear not as wages for workers but as profit for capitalists. “According to the Census of Philippine Business and Industry in 2012, the power industry’s labor productivity is at PhP 4 million annually per worker. In contrast, KEPCO rank-and-file workers receive an average of just PhP 13,000 per month or PhP 169,000 per year. Thus workers wages at KEPCO amounts to just 4% of the industry’s labor productivity,” Magtubo explained.


He asserted that “The meager wages of KEPCO workers was the motive for them to unionize and bargain as a means of enhancing their working and living standards. But rather than respect labor’s right to self-organization and collective negotiations, KEPCO is busting the supervisors union and harassing rank-and-file workers whose union has already been certified as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent.”

Friday, April 17, 2015

KEPCO workers protest low pay, union repression

Photo by Allan DEfensor of Sun Star Cebu
Press Release
April 16, 2015

Workers of KEPCO-Salcon Power Corporation today held a noisy but peaceful protest action at its Naga City plant. In a show of force and expression of solidarity, members of both the rank-and-file and supervisory unions jointly participated in the protest.

“We call on the management KEPCO-Cebu to heed their workers just demands. We say enough of low wages that do not keep up with the rising costs of living. We say enough to harassment and intimidation of workers exercising their right to join unions,” asserted Alex Ponce, President of the rank and file union Kepco Cebu Employees Association - Workers Solidarity Network (KCEA - WSN) .

As workers protested in Naga, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board conducted another mediation hearing between union and management. The two KEPCO unions both filed notices of strike for union busting and unfair labor practice last April 8.

“There is an anomalous disconnect between pay and productivity in our industry. According to a survey on labor productivity, every worker in the energy sector generates P4.1 million in earnings annually but in comparison we are paid a meager about 5% yearly. Is this inclusive growth?” explained Lowell Sanchez, President of supervisory union Kepco Cebu Supervisors Association - Workers Solidarity Network (KCSA - WSN).

The two KEPCO unions, both affiliated to Workers Solidarity Network-SENTRO, are also demanding a stop to the harassment of union members and the reinstatement of two supervisory union officers who were fired for union activities.

The unions denounced management for “being intransigent” and even refusing to attend the mediation hearing with the supervisors union. “Apparently KEPCO’s tactic is be hardline in negotiations as it expects the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to prevent a strike through its assumption of jurisdiction powers. We appeal to the good sense of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz against falling prey to KEPCO’s dirty play. We hope she stands true to her declaration that government intervention in labor disputes is now a thing of the past,” Sanchez declared.

The International Labor Organization along with local labor groups have previously criticized the abuse of the government’s power to assume jurisdiction as a suppression of the right to strike.


“KEPCO employees call on our fellow Filipinos for understanding and our fellow workers for solidarity. Our fight for fair wages is also the fight of Filipino workers who suffer low pay. Our fight for labor rights is also the fight of all workers who deserve a voice in the workplace. Ang laban ng KEPCO workers ay laban ng lahat,” explained Ponce.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Bacoor urban poor rally against demolition threat



Press Release
April 8, 2015

Some 100 members of four urban poor groups based in Brgy. Longos, Bacoor, Cavite held a protest rally yesterday against the threat of demolitions due to private and public projects in their communities. The militant Partido Manggagawa is supporting the urban poor fight for decent housing and livelihood.

Tonette Fajanilan, an urban poor leader and a Partido Manggagawa coordinator in Bacoor, said that “Inclusive growth should mean the right to affordable housing and the provision of social cost into the project cost of public development plans. We hope for a negotiated settlement to the threat of demolition so that there is no mis-encounter moreso a bloody war. We do not oppose social progress but we demand that social justice be integral to development.”

The urban poor marched from a nearby assembly point to the Bacoor municipal trial court (MTC). They picketed while an MTC hearing was held on the eviction case against 23 families living in a lot claimed by a brother of Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla. The lot is near the proposed LRT depot and station in Bacoor.

The 23 families in the rally were joined by other Bacoor residents who are affected by the LRT project and the clean up of the Manila Bay that was ordered by the Supreme Court in a writ of mandamus. The Supreme Court on December 18, 2008, issued a writ of continuing mandamus directing 13 government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate and eventually preserve Manila Bay within 10 years. Meanwhile the LRT extension line from Baclaran, Paranaque to Bacoor, Cavite has been awarded to an Ayala consortium.

“This is not just a fight for housing but also for livelihood. In our communities, we have not just built our simple homes but also our informal jobs. The problem of informal settlers is intertwined with the question of lack of jobs,” explained Fajanilan.

She added that “Our appeal for affordable housing and decent jobs is not much specially in comparison to the multibillion costs of development projects like the LRT extension and Manila Bay cleanup. We believe our fight is in line with the challenge of Pope Francis to reform the structures that perpetuate poverty and exclusion of the poor.”