Bagsak na kabuhayan dahil sa nagtaasang presyo, pondong naglalaho

Salamat sa TRAIN, sabi ng mga economic managers ni Pangulong Duterte. Lumaki ng 20% ang tax collection ngayon lamang kalahati ng taong 2018. Salamat sa TRAIN, tumaas ang take-home pay ng mga nakakaangat na uri sa amin. Salamat sa TRAIN, unti-unti na raw mapopondohan ang build, build, build (BBB) projects ng administrasyon.

Pero may narinig na ba kayong mahirap na nagpasalamat sa TRAIN? Wala dahil mahirap magpasalamat sa bagay na siyang nagpapahirap sa atin. Dahil sa TRAIN ay nagtaasan lahat ng presyo ng bilihin at serbisyo. Kaya’t habang sila ay galak na nagpapasalamat dito, tayo ay namumulubi sa perwisyong dala ng pasaning ito.

Kaya isinagasa sa atin ang TRAIN ay para daw mapondohan ang mga programa ng gubyerno. Pero bakit nawala ang pondo sa pabahay ng maralita? Bakit nabawasan din ang pondo sa edukasyon, kalusugan, at iba pang serbisyo? Dahil ba hindi naman ito problema at ayon kay DBM Secretary Ben Diokno, hindi naman magugutom ang mahihirap kung magsisipag lang?

Balikan natin ang pondo sa pabahay. Sa halagang P2.8B para sa housing sector ay walang bagong pabahay na maitatayo. Halos singlaki lang ito ng P2.5B intelligence fund ni Pangulong Duterte. Kaya’t ang mangyayari ngayon ay may pondo ang HUDCC, HGC at NHA para lamang umandar ang kanilang mga opisina at hindi para magtayo ng mga bagong pabahay.

Dahil daw ito sa bagong sistema ng cash-based budgeting. Ang hindi raw marunong gumastos ng pondo sa loob ng isang taon ay hindi bibigyan ng panggastos. Bilyun-bilyon daw kasi ang hindi nagagastos dahil sa bagal ng implementasyon ng mga ahensya ng gubyerno.

Pero bakit maralita ang magdurusa sa kapalpakan ng mga ahensyang ito? Kung umistambay ang NHA sa programang pabahay, ang mga opisyal dapat nito ang tinapyas hindi ang pondo sa pabahay.

Nang magreklamo ang economic managers sa kawalan ng pondong gagamitin sa pederalismo, ang sabi ng Pangulo sa kanila ay gawan ito ng paraan. Pero sa isyu ng pondo sa pabahay, hindi na nag-iisip ng paraan, diretso agad sa tapyasan. Sa madaling salita, magkakaroon ng pondo para itayo ang bahay ng pederalismo pero sa pantayo ng bahay ng maralita, wala.

Huwag natin itong payagan. Mas malaking pondo para sa pabahay at iba pang serbisyo, ipaglaban! Dagdag na buwis labanan! Kaltas sa badyet ng pabahay pigilan!

Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino

30 Agosto 2018

Cigarette workers protest at DOLE today as strike nears

Workers of Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC) picketed today the Intramuros office of the Department of Labor and Employment while mediation was ongoing between management and the union. Members of the Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. Labor Union (PMFTCLU-NAFLU) and their supporters carried placards that said “Job security not redundancy” and “Welga sagot sa tanggalan.”

The union is set to hold a strike vote in a few days. A strike can then be held seven days after a majority of union members vote yes. Yesterday the union held a general assembly in preparation for the strike vote.

The labor dispute at the leading cigarette manufacturer is part of a rising wave of workers unrest. Scores of notices of strike have been filed and strikes are erupting in various companies. This morning, employees of the big Japanese pharmaceutical firm Takeda Healthcare Philippines in Rockwell, Makati went on strike over a deadlock in collective bargaining negotiations.

The leading cigarette manufacturer shut down its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant affecting 90 workers and also laid off 220 workers (a third of the 600 workforce) at its Marikina factory early this month. In response the union filed notice of strike last August 9 and immediately started protests.

“The Constitution mandates that workers receive their fair share of the fruits of production. But at PMFTC, retrenchment was the company’s reward for increased labor productivity and workers meeting key performance indicators. What kind of system is this?,” argued Rene Magtubo, chair of Partido Manggagawa and former president of the Marikina union.

This month the Lucio Tan Group announced a P3.63 billion total income for the first quarter of this year. Some P2.35B or 65% of the total income of the Lucio Tan Group came from its tobacco business.

The PMFTCLU is alleging unfair labor practice over the closure and retrenchment. The union slammed the bad faith and deceit attending the so-called right-sizing plan of management. The group believes that union busting is the real agenda as the non-union sister factory in Sto. Tomas, Batangas just regularized 100 contractual employees. In contrast, the Marikina and Vigan plants are both unionized factories.

“Management told the union that the Vigan plant will be closed and sold to another entity. No other details were given. This raises the suspicion that this is another outsourcing program similar to the contractualization scheme at Philippine Airlines,” declared Gerry Rivera, president of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA-TUCP) and head of the newly formed Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa. Both PALEA and PMFTCLU are members of the Kapatiran.

He declared that “We express support for the fight of PMFTCLU for job security and against union busting. Ang laban ng isa ay laban ng lahat.”

“PMFTC management has been absolutely opaque behind the misnamed right-sizing plan. When management first discussed the plan before the union, they withheld the names of workers affected, they did not disclose how the termination process will proceed and finally they did not give any solid basis for the closure and redundancy. And then just hours after the meeting with the union, management unveiled its surprise gift to unsuspecting workers who were cajoled into signing separation without the presence of union officers who barred from entering the factory,” Magtubo elaborated.

Photos of the protests can be accessed at PMFTCLU’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/

28 August 2018

Advisory: Cigarette workers protest at DOLE today, strike nears

Media Advisory

August 28, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Rene Magtubo @ 09178532905

Cigarette workers protest at DOLE today, strike nears

What: Picket-protest by workers DOLE conducts mediation

When: Today,  August 28, 12:00 noon

Where: DOLE Intramuros

Members of the Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Labor Union (PMFTCLU-NAFLU) will hold another picket today while the DOLE convenes another mediation hearing.

The union is set to hold a strike vote in a few days. A strike can then be held seven days after a majority of union members vote yes.

The labor dispute at the leading cigarette manufacturer is part of a rising wave of workers unrest. Scores of notices of strike have been filed and strikes are erupting in various companies.

The cigarette company shutdown its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant affecting 90 workers and also laid off 220 workers (1/3 of some 600 workforce) at Marikina factory three weeks ago.

In response the union filed notice of strike on August 9 and started protests. Yesterday the union held a general assembly to finalize plans for the strike vote.

Management alleges "rightsizing" is due to forthcoming impact of TRAIN and other factors. Union avers shutdown and layoff is attended by bad faith and deceit as the basis and terms of the shutdown and layoff were not subject to negotiation.

Moreover management admitted that the company is profitable and workers have achieved the target key performance indicators. Thus the union is lambasting management for termination as a "reward" for labor productivity.

Some P2.35B or 65% of the P 3.63B total income of the Lucio Tan Group for the first quarter of this year came from its tobacco business.

Photos of the various union protests and activities at https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/. ###

Labor, church groups unite in the “Martsa ng mga Manggagawa” to Mendiola today

The Church-Labor Conference (CLC) comprised of different labor and church groups joined the protest action on National Heroes Day dubbed as Martsa ng Manggagawa at Mamamayan Laban sa Karahasan at Pagbagsak ng Kabuhayan. 

“Filipino workers, our modern day heroes, will condemn the Duterte government, for further legitimizing contractualization, pressing down wages through the TRAIN Law, and violent curtailment of basic trade union and human rights,” asserted Rene Magtubo, chair of Partido Manggagawa and also co-chair of CLC.

The CLC assembled along UST, España at 9:00 am. After holding a short program, the group marched with the contingent from Welcome Rotunda towards Mendiola for the main program. 

“We welcome the solidarity of various church groups and their support for the workers demand for lower prices, higher wages, regular jobs and labor rights in the rally today,” averred Magtubo.

He observed that inflation rose from just 3% last December to more than 6% in Metro Manila since the implementation of TRAIN in January. “In the face of this, wage boards in nine regions gave paltry salaries hikes. Duterte’s promise of abolishing regional wages is just as broken as his end endo pledge,” Magtubo added.

The groups warned the government to heed workers legitimate demands lest it further leads to the escalation of labor unrest. Notices of strikes and actual strikes are on the rise, especially in the last several months.

Workers of the leading cigarette firm Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC) are on the verge of a strike because of a dispute over the closure of its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant and the mass layoff at its Marikina factory. Some 90 and 220 workers were affected respectively by the shutdown and retrenchment. After the Martsa ng mga Manggagawa, the PMFTC labor union convened a general assembly this afternoon to unite its membership for a strike vote planned in the next few days.

“The Constitution mandates that workers receive their fair share of the fruits of production. But at PMFTC, retrenchment was the company’s reward for increased labor productivity and workers meeting key performance indicators. What kind of system is this?,” argued Magtubo, who is a former president of the Marikina union.

The Lucio Tan Group recently announced a P3.63 billion total income for the first quarter of this year. Some P2.35B or 65% of the total income of the Lucio Tan Group came from its tobacco business.

The PMFTC labor union is alleging unfair labor practice over the closure and retrenchment. The union slammed the bad faith and deceit attending the so-called right-sizing plan of management. The group believes that union busting is the real agenda as the non-union sister factory in Sto. Tomas, Batangas just regularized 100 contractual employees. In contrast, the Marikina and Vigan plants are both unionized factories.

August 27, 2018

Media Advisory: "Martsa ng mga Manggagawa" from UST to Mendiola today

Media Advisory

For 27 August 2018

ThE Church-Labor Conference (CLC) comprised of different labor and church groups will join the protest action on national heroes day dubbed as Martsa Ng Manggagawa at Mamamayan Laban sa Karahasan at Pagbagsak ng Kabuhayan. 

Filipino workers, our modern day heroes, will condemn the Duterte government, for further legitimizing contractualization, pressing down wages through the TRAIN Law, and violent curtailment of basic trade union and human

The CLC will assemble along UST, España at 9am, will hold a short program and will march with the contingent from Welcome Rotunda towards Mendiola for the main program. 

MEDIA COVERAGE IS REQUESTED.

Photo opportunities are available. 

Contact person:

Ka Rene Magtubo

PM Chair and Co-chair for Labor, CLC

Cp number: 0917 853 2905

Advisory: Workers, church groups to demand lower prices, higher wages, regular jobs in rally tom

Media Advisory

August 26, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Rene Magtubo @ 09178532905

"Martsa ng mga Manggagawa" tom by labor, church groups

What: Heroes Day rally by workers, church groups

When: Tom,  August 27, 9:00 am assembly, 10:00 am march

Where: From UST Espana to Mendiola

Some of the groups joining forces for the Heroes Day rally are Partido Manggagawa, KMU, FFW, Sentro, Kapatiran, UFSW, Kayumanggi, Church-Labor Conference, Church People-Workers Solidarity, Urban Missionaries, National Secretariat for Social Action and the Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns.

Workers and church groups will demand lower prices, higher wages, regular jobs in the rally tomorrow.

The labor and church groups will march on August 27 from different points along Espana towards Mendiola.

Advisory: Presscon to announce Heroes Day rally by labor, church groups

Media Advisory
August 24, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Rene Magtubo @ 09178532905

Presscon to announce Heroes Day rally by labor, church groups

What: Presscon for Heroes Day rally

When: Today,  August 24, 10:00 am 

Where: Merced Bakeshop along EDSA, near Quezon Ave.

Representatives of different labor and church groups will announce a big rally on Heroes Day to demand a stop to policies of the Duterte administration that are inimical to workers and the poor such as TRAIN and the war on drugs; and to call for the fulfillment of promises such as the end to labor contractualization and regionalization of wages.

Some of the groups joining forces for the Heroes Day rally are Partido Manggagawa, FFW, KMU, Church-Labor Conference, Church People-Workers Solidarity, Urban Missionaries and the Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns.

The labor and church groups will march on August 27 from different points along Espana towards Mendiola.

Elite din ang nasa likod at harap ng chacha at pederalismo

May tama at mali si dating CJ Reynato Puno sa inirereklamo niyang “elite-led opposition” sa pederalismo. Kay’ta maari lang namin siyang unawain sa kanyang hinagpis dahil naiipit lamang siya sa laro ng nag-uumpugang mga elite.

Tama si CJ Puno sa pagtukoy sa mga elite – ang mga political dynasties, oligarko, at mga monopolyo bilang sanhi ng gamundong problema ng bansa sa napakatagal na panahon.  Pero mali na sabihin na sila ngayon ang tutol sa pederalismo dahil ang lalabas, mayorya ng masa ang may gusto dito.

Nakikita ni CJ Puno ang mga elite na nasa likod ng oposisyon sa pederalismo pero bulag siya sa mga elite na nasa likod at harap din ng pagtutulak nito tulad ng mga dynasties at negosyanteng kaalyado ngayon ng Pangulo.

Kung ang tinutukoy naman na ni CJ Puno na “elite” ay ang economic managers at business groups na nagpahayag ng pagkabahala sa pederalismo, maliwanag na ang kanilang oposisyon ay patungkol lamang sa usapin ng pondo at sa credit rating ng Pilipinas na makakasama sa istabilidad ng kanilang negosyo. Hindi naman sila oposisyon sa Pangulo na siyang pangunahing nagtutulak ng pederalismo. Sila ay totoong oposisyon lamang sa kahilingan ng manggagawa sa dagdag na sweldo, pagpapatigil sa endo, repormang agrarayo at pagpapatigil sa pribatisasyon at deregulasyon ng ekonomiya.

Nakapagtataka na hindi nakikita ni CJ Puno na ang kalakhan (75%) ng masang Pilipino ay hindi lang walang muwang sa paksang ito kundi ang mga organisadong sektor ay tutol din dito. Sa hiwalay na survey naman ay sinasabi pa nga na ang top concerns ng mga Pilipino ay presyo, sweldo, at trabaho. Sa madaling salita, hindi kahilingan ng masang Pilipino ang pederalismo.

Tutol ang manggagawa sa chacha at pederalismo hindi dahil sa ito ay mali bilang konsepto kundi’y dahil hindi ito ang tamang pagtuunan ngayon ng panahon ng gubyerno.  Ang dapat pagkaabalahan at daganan ngayon ng gubyerno ay ang nagtataasang mga presyo, hindi matigil na endo at kawalang trabaho. Chicha, hindi chacha ang kahilingan ng manggagawa.

.

At sa huli, ang pundamental na oposisyon ng mangggawa laban sa chacha at pederalismo ay nakabatay sa paniniwala na hindi porma ng gubyerno ang totoong problema ng bansa kundi ang makauring komposisyon mismo ng mga naghahari sa loob nito na mas akma sa tinatawag ni CJ Puno na "elite”.

Hindi sila ang totoong oposisyon. Hindi rin sila ang solusyon.

Agosto 20, 2018

Workers protest as DOLE mediates dispute at leading cigarette firm

Workers of Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC) picketed this afternoon the Intramuros office of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board while mediation was ongoing between management and the union. Members of the Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. Labor Union (PMFTCLU-NAFLU) and their supporters carried placards that said “Job security not redundancy” and “Welga sagot sa tanggalan.”

The leading cigarette manufacturer shut down its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant affecting 90 workers and also laid off 220 workers (a third of the 600 workforce) at Marikina factory last week. In response the union filed notice of strike last Thursday and started protests.

“The Constitution mandates that workers receive their fair share of the fruits of production. But at Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco, retrenchment was the company’s reward for increased labor productivity and workers meeting key performance indicators. What kind of system is this?,” argued Rene Magtubo, chair of Partido Manggagawa and former president of the Marikina union.

Yesterday the Lucio Tan Group announced a P3.63 billion total income for the first quarter of this year. Some P2.35B or 65% of the total income of the Lucio Tan Group came from its tobacco business.

The PMFTCLU is alleging unfair labor practice over the closure and retrenchment. The union slammed the bad faith and deceit attending the so-called right-sizing plan of management. The group believes that union busting is the real agenda as the non-union sister factory in Sto. Tomas, Batangas just regularized 100 contractual employees. In contrast, the Marikina and Vigan plants are both unionized factories.

“Management told the union that the Vigan plant will be closed and sold to another entity. No other details were given. This raises the suspicion that this is another outsourcing program similar to the contractualization scheme at Philippine Airlines,” declared Gerry Rivera, president of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA-TUCP) and head of the newly formed Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa. Both PALEA and PMFTCLU are members of the Kapatiran.

He declared that “We express support for the fight of PMFTCLU for job security and against union busting. Ang laban ng isa ay laban ng lahat.”

“PMFTC management has been absolutely opaque behind the misnamed right-sizing plan. When management first discussed the plan before the union last week, they withheld the names of workers affected, they did not disclose how the termination process will proceed and finally they did not give any solid basis for the closure and redundancy. And then just hours after the meeting with the union, management unveiled its surprise gift to unsuspecting workers who were cajoled into signing separation without the presence of union officers who barred from entering the factory,” Magtubo elaborated.

Photos of the protests can be accessed at PMFTCLU’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/

August 15, 2018

Advisory: Mediation re Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco dispute

Media Advisory
August 15, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Rene Magtubo @ 09178532905

DOLE-NCMB to mediate dispute at Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp.

What: Protest during mediation meeting

When: Today,  August 15, 1:00 pm 

Where: NCMB office Intramuros, Manila

The scheduled  mediation meeting between management and the union of Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco was moved to 2:00 pm today. The planned picket protest by workers has thus been reset to 1:00 pm today. 

The leading cigarette manufacturer shutdown its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant affecting 90 workers and also laid off 220 workers (1/3 of some 600 workforce) at Marikina factory last week.

In response the union filed notice of strike last Thursday and started protests.

Management alleges "rightsizing" is due to forthcoming impact of TRAIN and other factors. Union avers shutdown and layoff is attended by bad faith and deceit as the basis and terms of the shutdown and layoff were not subject to negotiation.

Moreover management admitted that the company is profitable and workers have achieved the target key performance indicators. Thus the union is lambasting management for termination as a "reward" for labor productivity.

Some P2.35B or 65% of the P 3.63B total income of the Lucio Tan Group for the first quarter of this year came from its tobacco business.

Photos of workers' protests at https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/

Labor group welcomes 300,000 new regular workers

Photo from Rappler.com

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) welcomed the announcement of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello that the employers group ECOP has pledged to make 300,000 contractual workers as regulars. The group though asked for details of the commitment.

“Good news is always welcome. We would like to believe that the statement of Sec. Bello is true but we do ask that the DOLE and ECOP reveal the terms of the commitment to regularize 300,000 endo employees. The devil is in the details. We have to read the fine print,” declared Rene Magtubo, national chair of Partido Manggagawa.

The declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte in his last SONA that the DOLE had already regularized 300,000 workers this year provoked a heated exchange between workers groups and the DOLE about the veracity of the figure. At the heart of the controversy is whether the workers were regularized in the principal companies or merely in the contracting agencies.

Magtubo also insisted that “We also call on ECOP to persuade employers like PLDT, NutriAsia and Wyeth to follow the compliance orders of the DOLE to regularize in their companies contractual workers previously dispatched to them by manpower agencies.”

He asserted that “It would be good if ECOP and Sec. Bello would divulge their agreement to the public in order for other employers’ group to follow suit. We would like to be appraised of the terms of the agreement so we can assess that it is within the framework of the present law and regulation which provides that dispatched workers performing jobs or functions directly related to the principal business of the employer should become its employees.”

Magtubo also reminded the DOLE that workers unrest is brewing as labor disputes and concerted actions have hit companies like PLDT, NutriAsia, Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco and companies in the Cavite export processing zones.

Tomorrow a meeting is being convened by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board office in Intramuros between the management and union of Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. A notice of strike was filed by the Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. Labor Union (PMFTCLU-NAFLU) last Thursday over the closure of its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant and the mass layoff at the Parang, Marikina factory that led to the loss of 90 and 220 jobs respectively. The union is alleging unfair labor practice for the opacity of the basis and process of the termination.

“Retrenchment was the company’s reward for increased labor productivity and workers meeting efficiency targets. Instead, shouldn’t workers receive their fair share of the fruits of production as stipulated in the Constitution,” averred Magtubo who was former local president of PMFTCLU-NAFLU.

August 14, 2018

Advisory: Series of protests against mass layoff at Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp.

Media Advisory
August 13, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Rene Magtubo @ 09178532905

What: Picket Protests

When: Today 1:00 pm and 10:00 pm Aug 13; 6:00 am tomorrow
Where: Parang, Marikina factory

The leading cigarette manufacturer shutdown its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant affecting 90 workers and also laid off 220 workers (1/3 of some 600 workforce) at Marikina factory last week.

In response the union filed notice of strike last Thursday and started protests.

Management alleges "rightsizing" is due to forthcoming impact of TRAIN and other factors. Union avers shutdown and layoff is attended by bad faith and deceit as the basis and terms of the shutdown and layoff were not subject to negotiation.

Moreover management admitted that the company is profitable and workers have achieved the target key performance indicators. Thus the union is lambasting management for termination as a "reward" for labor productivity.

Photos of initial mass meeting and protests at https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/

Leading cigarette firm threatened by strike over mass layoff

The workers of Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC), the leading cigarette manufacturer in the country, are preparing to strike in response to the mass layoff in its Marikina factory and the shutdown of its Vigan plant. The Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. Labor Union (PMFTCLU-NAFLU) today filed a notice of strike over the termination of a third of the workforce of the Parang, Marikina factory and the closure of the Vigan, Ilocos Sur tobacco redrying plant.

“PMFTC is highly profitable and workers have met the key performance indicators so why are 90 union members in Vigan and another 220 in Marikina being retrenched? After being productive and efficient, workers are now being made to sacrifice? What kind of system is this?,” argued Rene Magtubo, chair of Partido Manggagawa and former president of the Marikina union.

Both the Vigan and Marikina plants were closed since yesterday and no employees were allowed to work. The union held an emergency mass meeting yesterday that was attended by a majority of the work force. A protest at the Marikina factory gate was launched after the assembly. Today, a morning and afternoon picket-protest was again held.

The PMFTCLU is alleging unfair labor practice over the closure and retrenchment. The union slammed the bad faith and deceit attending the so-called right-sizing plan of management. The group believes that union busting is the real agenda as the non-union sister factory in Sto. Tomas, Batangas just regularized 100 contractual employees. In contrast, the Marikina and Vigan plants are both unionized factories.

“We express support for the fight of PMFTCLU for job security and against union busting. Ang laban ng isa ay laban ng lahat,” declared Gerry Rivera, president of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA-TUCP) and head of the newly formed Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa. Both PALEA and PMFTCLU are members of the Kapatiran.

“Management told the union that the Vigan plant will be closed and sold to another entity. No other details were given. This raises the suspicion that this is another outsourcing program similar to the contractualization scheme at Philippine Airlines,” Rivera insisted.

“PMFTC management has been absolutely opaque behind the misnamed right-sizing plan. When management first discussed the plan before the union two days ago, they withheld the names of workers affected, they did not disclose how the termination process will proceed and finally they did not give any solid basis for the closure and redundancy. And then just hours after the meeting with the union, management unveiled its surprise gift to unsuspecting workers who were cajoled into signing separation without the presence of union officers who barred from entering the factory,” Magtubo elaborated.

Photos of the mass meeting and protests today and yesterday can be accessed at PMFTCLU’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/

9 August 2018

Advisory: Labor dispute at Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco as a third of workforce laid-off

August 9, 2018

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Rene Magtubo @ 09178532905

Notice of strike to be filed today by Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Labor Union

Picket Protest 9:00 am and 1:00 pm at Parang, Marikina factory

Dispute over surprise shutdown of Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant affecting 90 workers and mass layoff of 220 workers (1/3 of some 600 workforce) at Marikina factory.

Management alleges "rightsizing" is due to forthcoming impact of TRAIN and other factors. Union avers shutdown and layoff is attended by bad faith and deceit as the basis and terms of the shutdown and layoff were not subject to negotiation.

Photos of mass meeting and protest yesterday at https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/

Labor group slams Drew Olivar of “Pepedederalismo” for cyber libel

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) today slammed for cyber libel the blogger Drew Olivar who recently hit the news for the controversial “Pepedederalismo” video together with PCOO Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson.

Olivar, in a Facebook post last September 30, 2017 on his “Drew Olivar Blog” accused Ver Estorosas, a PM leader, of absconding after allegedly receiving P8 million to mobilize people for a September 21, 2017 in Luneta. A picture of Estorosas in a rally was maliciously entitled “WANTED” in bold letters in Olivar’s blog post.

“Blabber blogger Drew Olivar is not just an indecent promoter of Pepedederalismo in cahoots with Mocha Uson but is also a thief of images for the profitable production and distribution of fake news. Ver Estorosas, as chairman of the PM Bulacan chapter, is not a fugitive but on the contrary active in leading actions of urban poor for their housing demands and NutriAsia workers for their job security,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that the group is consulting with lawyers for the appropriate course of action to defend the rights of Estorosas and stop Olivar from peddling libelous posts.

Magtubo insisted that “Olivar’s accusation is an outright lie and a figment of his imagination. He stole the photo from a rally of housing applicants in NHA Bulacan led by PM that was covered by mainstream media such as CNN Philippines and Rappler. PM was not even a participant to the September 21, 2017 rally in Luneta that was called by the Movement Against Tyranny.”

Olivar’s libelous post was brought to the attention of PM by members of the workers association BPO Shield (formerly Inter-Call Center Association of Workers) who dug into Olivar’s account after the “Pepedederalismo” video went viral.

“The Pepedederalismo video is a waste of taxpayers’ money that was squeezed from the people through TRAIN. We vow to mobilize workers and the poor against the charter change campaign of the Duterte administration. The shift to federalism is a scheme to perpetuate Duterte and trapos like Gloria Arroyo in power. The answer to mass poverty and social inequality is system change not charter change. Chicha hindi chacha!,” argued Magtubo.

“We warn Olivar against stealing more photos of rallies for his business of peddling fake news,” Magtubo cautioned as PM today held a mobilization of workers at the Senate in time for the sponsorship speech by Sen. Joel Villanueva of the security of tenure bill.

August 7, 2018