NO HARMONIZATION, NO SUPPORT FOR END ENDO LEGISLATION

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT

Alliance of General Unions, Institutions and Labor Associations (Aguila)

Federation of Free Workers (FFW)

Partido Manggagawa (PM)

Philippine Airlines Empoyees Association (PALEA)

Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro)

We, various labor groups comprising the majority of NAGKAISA, are denouncing, in strongest possible term, the passage of the non-harmonized version of the Security of Tenure (SOT) bills.  This is clearly a product of treachery by the leadership of both Houses, working in cahoots with employers, to hijack the process to undermine workers’ final push for a better law through the harmonization of HB6908 and SB1826 at the bicam level. 

With the House adopting SB 1826 en toto, our dream of having stronger anti-contractualization provisions in the Labor Code is dead! 

It was arbitrary on the part of the House leadership to bypass the House panel tasked to harmonize the provisions on the SOT bills, particularly: 

1. Prohibition of fixed-term employment and of multi-layered contracting found in the HOR version must be incorporated in the Senate version. 

2. The strong provisions of the HB 6908 on fines and penalties, including closures of agencies guilty of labor only contracting. 

3. The derogation of solidary liability of the principal and the contractors in the Senate version, when Title II, Book III was inserted, must be corrected. 

An impending anti-endo legislation that does not meet these bottom line issues is not worthy of support.  Absent the harmonization of this demand in the final version, our collective response is outright rejection.

29 May 2019

Union busting at Kohl’s supplier in the Philippines

Workers at a Kohl’s supplier in the biggest export zone in the Philippines are complaining of management interference in the exercise of their freedom of association. The newly formed workers union at Daegyoung Apparel Inc. is calling on Kohl’s to remediate the violations of their supplier in line with their code of conduct.

The workers of Daegyoung formed a union in April with the aim of resolving workplace grievances such as low pay, lack of benefits, precarious work and violation of labor standards. As soon as management learned of the formation of the union, supervisors and line leaders started talking to workers to withdraw support from the union or desist from enlisting with the union.

Workers were threatened that the company will shutdown if the union pushes through. At the start, management personnel blatantly asked workers to sign anti-union statements at the production lines. Management personnel also openly held a town hall meeting in the factory canteen and repeated the threat of a factory closure. Later, workers were asked to go in pairs to management offices where they were subjected to anti-union propaganda.

In response to management’s union busting maneuvers, the union filed for preventive mediation with the Labor Department. Nothing was resolved in the first hearing. Another hearing is set this week.

The union has also filed a petition for certification elections and in the proceedings, management submitted it opposition and offered separation pay to workers—moves which evidently tie in with the company’s union busting scheme.

Korean-owned Daegyoung employs some 1,000 workers, mostly women. Workers estimate that around 80% of the production is earmarked for Kohl’s. The factory is located in the Cavite Economic Zone in the industrial town of Rosario, Cavite.

Senate asked to heed workers’ cry and pass Security of Tenure bill

With tens of thousands of workers from different labor groups marching across the country on Labor Day to call for regular jobs and an end to endo, the partylist group Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on the Senate to pass the Security of Tenure bill. The bill has languished in the Senate even as the House of Representatives had already passed its version last year. The proposed bill would make regular employment the norm and contractual jobs as the exception in well defined cases.

“The senators should heed the demand of Filipino workers whose cry rang loud and clear on Labor Day. Even President Duterte called them out that Congress should pass laws that guarantee security of tenure and the right to self-organization. With nine more session days of Congress left, we vow to fight endo till the endgame,” argued Rene Magtubo, chair of PM and spokesperson of the Nagkaisa labor coalition.

Yesterday in Manila, some 10,000 workers rallied under the Nagkaisa banner with the demand to pass the Security of Tenure bill as the main slogan. Similar mobilizations were held by Nagkaisa and its affiliated organizations in Bataan ecozone, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Iligan and General Santos City.

Magtubo however averred that “The President should do more than just read a speech about workers’ rights. He should issue instructions to his allies in the Senate, such as Senator Cynthia Villar, to pass the Security of Tenure bill which has stalled over the objections of key senators. Actions should match words. Promises must be fulfilled.”

Meanwhile the demand for wage and voice that were among the highlights of the Labor Day marches yesterday are reflected in the grievances of an alliance of workers in three Mitsubishi car dealerships. The alliance of labor unions is holding simultaneous lunch break protests tomorrow to flex it muscles.

The main picket is at that Otis, Paco, Manila office of Union Motors where a company board meeting is happening tomorrow. Some 50 workers are expected to participate in the Paco protest.

The Peak Motors workers union is on the verge of a strike over a deadlock in CBA negotiations for a wage hike. Meanwhile the Union Motors labor union is preparing to file a refusal to bargain complaint. Finally three officers of the DCT union are facing termination.

The alliance of the three unions are complaining that the separate issues are a concerted attack by the three car dealers which have interlocking directorates and owners. The alliance is alleging that the deadlock over wages and harassment of union officers are part of a design to weaken or bust the unions.

The alliance is called United Unions of Union Motors, Peak Motors and DCT Motors. It is made up of the Union Motors Corp. & Sales Employees Association, Peak Motors Phils. Employees Association and DCT Workers Union.

May 2, 2019

Car dealer workers to hold simultaneous pickets today over wage, voice issues

Media Advisory

May 3, 2019

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Ver Duray @ 09333103462

Car dealer workers to hold simultaneous pickets over wage, voice issues

What: Simultaneous pickets in car dealer offices

When: Today, May 3, 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Union Motors, Paco, Manila (main picket)

             Peak Motors, Pasay, EDSA cor Roxas Blvd, Pasay

             DCT Motors, EDSA Balintawak

Details:

Just after the commemoration of Labor Day, an alliance of labor unions in three Mitsubishi car dealers is holding simultaneous lunch break protests today to flex it muscles. The main picket is at that Paco office of Union Motors where a company board meeting is also happening today. Some 50 workers are expected to participate in the Paco protest.

The Peak Motors workers union is on the verge of a strike over a deadlock in CBA negotiations for a wage hike. Meanwhile the Union Motors labor union is preparing to file a refusal to bargain complaint. Finally three officers of the DCT union are facing termination.

The alliance of the three unions is complaining that the separate issues are a concerted attack by the three car dealers which have interlocking directorates and owners. The alliance is alleging that the deadlock over wages and harassment of union officers are part of a design to weaken or bust the unions.

The grievances and demands of the union alliance reflect the issues of wage and voice that were the highlights of the Labor Day marches yesterday.

The alliance is called United Unions of Union Motors, Peak Motors and DCT Motors. It is made up of the Union Motors Corp. & Sales Employees Association, Peak Motors Phils. Employees Association and DCT Workers Union.

Workers vow to fight endo until the endgame

As thousands of workers march today in Labor Day rallies across the country, the partylist group Partido Manggagawa (PM) vowed to “fight endo until the endgame.” The demand to abolish contractualization and provincial wage was at the top of the issues raised in the Labor Day commemoration.

Last night women members of PM and PUP students under the group SPEAK held a candlelight protest at Mendiola to call for regular jobs and a living wage.

“The Senate should heed the cry of the thousands of workers and to pass the Security of Tenure bill in its last session this month before Congress ends its term,” explained Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

She also clarified that “We support all initiatives to augment the income of workers such as the recent petition for a P710 across-the-board wage hike or a legislated salary increase for all workers. But we believe the best solution is to abolish the present system of regional wage setting that is the fulcrum of the policy of cheap labor. It is high time to institute a wage commission with the mandate to set national wages at the level of cost of living.”

Today PM and allied organizations National Federation of Labor, Agila, Umalab Ka, Pwersa and Kilos Maralita assembled at the Petron gas station along the eastbound side of Blumentritt in Espana at 7 a.m. The group then linked up with other groups for a short program at Welcome Rotonda. Then the Labor Day march led by the Nagkaisa labor coalition started at 9 a.m. towards Mendiola. Some 10,000 workers are expected to participate in the march to Mendiola.

PM also held Labor Day mobilizations at Cebu, Bacolod and Iligan. The rally in Cebu was a joint Nagkaisa-KMU rally at downtown Colon in the morning. The Bacolod mass action was a march by sugar workers and factory laborers through the Fountain of Justice in the afternoon. The Iligan march was led by the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations.

“We challenge the candidates of the opposition to make a stand on the demands of workers for regular jobs and a living wage. After three long years, the administration has not delivered on its promise to end endo and end provincial wages. But ordinary voters will not be inspired by the Otso Deretso if they cannot make a straight forward commitment to workers’ demands for regular jobs and a living wage,” Miranda averred.

May 1, 2019