Media Advisory: Women workers kickoff Women's Month celebrations

EO vs endo pushed in nationwide rallies at DOLE offices

Workers are holding simultaneous rallies at DOLE offices in key cities as part of a campaign by labor groups who are calling for the signing of an executive order (EO) to abolish contractualization. Members of Partido Manggagawa (PM) and the labor coalition Nagkaisa are picketing this morning the DOLE offices in Intramuros, Calamba, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Bacolod and Davao City.

In a dialogue between labor groups and President Duterte this month, the latter promised to make a decision by March 15 on the former's lobby for an anti-endo EO.  Rene Magtubo, PM chair and spokesperson of Nagkaisa said that “President Duterte won on a campaign platform of abolishing contractualization. Two long years have passed and the promise remains unfulfilled. Duterte criticizes EDSA for its broken promises but his own vow to end endo remains unrealized.”

The rallies will also call on the Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to act on major labor disputes at firms Lakepower, Coke and Philippine Airlines. Last week the DOLE main office was rocked by rallies of workers of electronics firm Lakepower Converter and employees of Coke. Women workers of Lakepower in Cavite ecozone have been on strike for more than two months now. They are calling on the office of the Labor Secretary to intervene to resolve the protracted dispute. The workers are calling for a stop to the termination and suspension of union officers and members. The dispute has become a litmus test of freedom of association at ecozones.

Last year, the DOLE released a new department order on contractulization called DO 174. “DO 174 however is no different from previous orders which allow contractualization, and give wide latitude to capitalists to subcontract and replace regular employees with contractual workers. Thus we are asking President Duterte to issue an EO to implement his campaign promise of ending contractualization,” Magtubo explained.

The Philippine Airlines union PALEA is also asking the Secretary Bello to expedite the labor inspection report on the use of contract workers in the national flag carrier. Last year, the DOLE conducted a labor inspection of Philippine Airlines and its sister company PAL Express. PALEA, which observed the inpection process as the duly accredited union, insists that the assessment uncovered clear acts of illegal labor-only contracting in the outsourcing program of PAL and PAL Express.

“Massive subcontracting and outsourcing at PAL that has reduced its plantilla of regular workers and bloated its army of contractual workers is not different from PLDT which the DOLE already found as guilty of illegal contracting,” argued Magtubo. The DOLE has also released an order to regularize 8,000 workers and pay millions in money claims.

Photos can be accessed at:

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10156042273339323

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10156042320789323

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10156042324344323

The failures of Edsa must not lead to the establishment of another dictatorship

PM is joining Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (Kalipunan) in todays march of basic sectors to the People Power Monument. 

Edsa failed on many respect. But such failures must not suit the agenda of building another dictatorship. 

Edsa failed because real political and economic power, during the last 32 years, remained captured by the elite. The people, therefore, have the right and reason to seek redress and more so demand changes in their present condition of living under poverty and inequality. But such change we never envisioned to be lead by Duterte minions in Congress led by Pantaleon Alvarez. 

Changing the constitution or restoring another type of dictatorship was never our demand. Surveys likewise reveal that charter change is never the top concerns of Filipinos. It was never the call of our workers during the last three decades. The government, past and present, were aware of these demands such as ending endo and realizing the principle of living wage yet no change is happening. And those who push for charter change today were the same powers who deny workers the free exercise of their rights to decent work and human rights. 

Hence, on the occasion of the 32^nd anniversary of Edsa People Power, we reiterate our position that what ails this nation is not form of government but class rule. The revolution, therefore, is still alive. Change we will.

25 February 2018

Basic Sectors, Human Rights Groups Join Forces to Reject ChaCha

Around 2,000 human rights advocates from labor, women, farmers, urban poor, environmental activists, indigenous peoples and the youth gathered at 1pm in front of the EDSA Shrine today. Coming from the Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa (KALIPUNAN), the mobilization held a streamer: “Not this Charter Change! Not this Federalism!”

Lanz Espacio, spokesperson of Kalipunan declared, “the basic sectors are not asking for a constitutional change, but for a change in their conditions which was not uplifted in the last 32 years.” Espacio said that the people’s agenda then and now is genuine empowerment of the real majority – the basic sectors. However, the result of the first EDSA was elitist democracy, while the current administration is pushing for a new dictatorship using ChaCha or its version of “revolutionary government” as vehicle.

“We will not allow a dictatorship to happen. What happened in 1986 and before then was people’s struggle against a dictatorship,” said Jean Enriquez, co-convenor of KALIPUNAN and coordinator of World March of Women (WMW). “We will not allow the shortcomings of the last 32 years nor loopholes in the Constitution to be used a defective change being pushed by the Duterte administration,” she added.

Wilson Fortaleza of Partido Manggagawa (PM) added that they also want change, but a change that is real. “Mas masidhi, kung tutuusin, ang pagnanais ng mga sektor para dito. Pero pagbabago sa paraang kasali ang batayang sektor na silang dapat sentrong benepisyaryo ng gagawing pagbabago. Gusto namin ng isang Demokrasyang para sa lahat, hindi para sa iilan,” according to Fortaleza.

“Our agenda is to stop the killings, protect and promote human rights and make justice happen,” said Nestor Yaranon of Kilos Maralita, also a member of Kalipunan. “What we ask for is to stop “Endo” and raise wages, complete and expand agrarian reform, to institute liberative education and decent, affordable housing for the poor, eliminate violence against women, respond to climate change and stop extractive industries, stop privatization, dynaties.”

Josua Mata of SENTRO added that these demands are not the intent behind ChaCha. “Real change remains in our hands,” Mata added.

Alyansa Tigil Mina, Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy, Urban Poor Alliance and PAKISAMA are also part of KALIPUNAN. They are joined by In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement in EDSA Shrine going to the People Power Monument for a program against charter change and dictatorship, and for human rights and democracy.

Kalipunan

25 February 2018

Media Advisory: Pickets at DOLE offices nationwide to push for EO vs endo

Media Advisory

February 26, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Rene Magtubo @ 09178532905

Media Advisory: Pickets at DOLE offices nationwide to push for EO vs endo

WHAT: PM and Nagkaisa labor coalition to picket DOLE offices nationwide

WHEN: Today, February 26 (Monday), 10:00 am-12:00 noon

WHERE: DOLE offices in Intramuros, Calamba (Laguna), Cebu City, Iloilo City, Bacolod and Davao City

DETAILS:

The simultaneous nationwide rallies at DOLE offices in key cities are part of a campaign by labor groups who are calling for the signing of an executive order to abolish contractualization. The rallies will also call on the Labor Secretary to act on labor disputes at Lakepower, Coke and Philippine Airlines.

In a dialogue between labor groups and President Duterte this month, the latter promised to make a decision by March 15 on the former's lobby for an anti-endo EO. 

Last week the DOLE main office was rocked by rallies of workers of electronics firm Lakepower Converter and employees of Coke. Women workers of electronics firm Lakepower in Cavite ecozone have been on strike for more than two months now. They are calling on the office of the Labor Secretary to intervene to resolve the protracted dispute. The workers are calling for a stop to the termination and suspension of union officers and members.  ###

Striking Cavite women workers protest for Labor Secretary intervention

Women workers of the electronics firm Lakepower in the Cavite ecozone held a protest today at the DOLE main office to call on Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to intervene and resolve the protracted dispute. The Lakepower workers have been on strike for more than two months now. The strike commenced after management refused worker’s demands that the termination and suspension of union officers and members be stopped.

The rally is also part of a series of protests by labor groups who are calling for the signing of an executive order to abolish contractualization and action by the DOLE on labor disputes at Lakepower, Coke and Philippine Airlines. The DOLE main office will also be the site of rallies on February 23 (Friday) by KMU and on February 26 (Monday)  by the Nagkaisa labor coalition.

The strike has dragged on as management has refused to take back the workers unless they are subjected to disciplinary action for taking part in the strike. Management has hired striker replacements since the strike began and continues to operate.

Immediately after the strike started last December 7, the striking women workers were repeatedly harassed by company and ecozone guards. Company guards, export zone security guards and other men wearing ski masks but clad in ecozone police uniforms repeatedly tore down placards and makeshift tents at the picketline. Two women workers—Maricar Orque and Magdalena Peña—were hurt in the commotion that followed the forcible dismantling of the picketline.

Unrest has festered at Lakepower since last year. Among workers grievances is the removal of the door of the women’s restroom so that the company can spy on workers. Almost all of the 200 workers in the factory are women. They are also outraged at the unreasonable limits on the use of the restroom which has led to numerous cases of workers suffering from urinary tract infection. Workers also complained of excessive quota and the exclusion of unionists from receiving Christmas packages.

Workers formed a union in June last year in a bid to resolve various workplace grievances such as verbal harassment, health and safety, and excessive quota. In response, management interrogated workers individually regarding their union activity. Union leaders were given new work assignments and overtime work was denied unionists and instead given to contractual employees. Three line leaders were forced to resign since they were suspected union supporters.

Photos of the rally can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10156031672514323

February 22, 2018

Cavite women workers kick-off series of protests for EO vs endo

Media Advisory

February 22, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Dennis Sequena @ 09301803072

Cavite women workers kick-off series of protests at DOLE for EO vs endo

 

WHAT: Striking Cavite women workers to hold protest

WHEN: Today, February 22 (Thursday), 10:00 am

WHERE: DOLE National office, Intramuros, Manila

DETAILS:

Women workers of electronics firm Lakepower in Cavite ecozone have been on strike for more than two months now. They are calling on the office of the Labor Secretary to intervene to resolve the protracted dispute. The workers are calling for a stop to the termination and suspension of union officers and members.

The rally today kicks-off a series of protests by labor groups who are calling for the signing of an executive order to abolish contractualization and action by the DOLE on labor disputes at Lakepower, Coke and Philippine Airlines. The DOLE main office will also be the site of rallies on February 23 (Friday) by KMU and on February 26 (Monday)  by the Nagkaisa labor coalition. ###

Korean garments factory interfering in workers' right to unionize

Workers at a garments factory in Cavite ecozone are facing interference in their efforts to unionize. The Korean-owned factory Dong Seung Inc. supplies to brands Ann Taylor and Macy's.

The workers of Dong Seung formed an independent union and have filed a petition for a certification election as provided for under the law. Since then the union president has been threatened by management with a criminal case, union leaders have been transferred from their departments to deny them access to other workers, management personnel have been meeting workers and propagating anti-union propaganda, union members have been denied loans, and they have been told that they can only access the loans if they withdraw membership in the independent union. Finally the Dong Seung management has formally manifested opposition to the holding of an election in a hearing conducted by the Labor Department on the petition for certification elections

As a result the independent union has filed a unfair labor practice complaint with the Labor Department. The complaint is presently being heard.

The workers union are calling on global companies Ann Inc., which owns the brand Ann Taylor, and Macy's Inc. to remediate the violations of their supplier Dong Seung Inc. based on their supplier codes of conduct which provide for respect for freedom of association and collective bargaining.

12 February 2017