Fight against inequality is continuation of Bonifacio’s struggle—Partido Manggagawa

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on workers to fight inequality as the continuation of the struggle of Andres Bonifacio. On the occasion of this year’s commemoration of Bonifacio Day, thousands of workers from different labor groups are coming together to a big rally at Mendiola.

Members of PM are joining the major mobilizations in the cities of Manila, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao. Chapters of PM and groups Aguila, National Federation of Labor, Pwersa and Kilos Maralita from Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon are gathering at Blumentritt along Espana at 9 am. The groups will then link up with the Nagkaisa labor coalition march from Welcome Rotonda to Mendiola where they will hold a program up to noon.

Yesterday PM unveiled what it called “Panalo ang Pinas” and “Laban ng Pinoys” medals to express its message of fighting social inequality amidst economic growth. Scores of PM members trooped to Liwasang Bonifacio yesterday wearing symbolic medals that parodied the issues facing workers such as rampant contractualization and low wages, and the people such as government corruption and rice importation.

“For the last decade, the economy has doubled but real wages have remained stagnant. This means workers have not shared in the wealth that labor has produced and instead capitalists have monopolized it. If Bonifacio were alive today, he will be leading a new revolution against worsening inequality,” stated Judy Ann Miranda, PM Secretary General.

She added that “Endo and regional wages are among the key instruments by which government in collaboration with capitalists have kept workers from partaking in the fruits of their labor. Thus the campaign of workers to end endo and abolish regional wages are major struggles of the labor movement at present.”

PM is also condemning the repression of labor strikes that are breaking out as contractual workers demand regularization. The group also denounced the government for the slow action in resolving the killing of union organizer Dennis Sequena last June. The group reiterated its demand that the government allow the International Labor Organization to conduct a High Level Mission to probe the killings of labor activists and the suppression of freedom of association and collective bargaining. ###

Photos of the activity yesterday can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10157637737124323?__xts__[0]=68.ARAn6-GMxwARR7qpY1oScEC3ekZbxGpX5IrLSegz0XHYB2CyraT4YSP0hKOdWPClp--TcQdtTe9raovNypx2qx7grv30G_34JfRBD7g1ITPn3sid-1Of2C9XtjX4j7NPaka9Q1sNY0K2IevrDpR52FOSp_KSmyXD6vyUAmc8sj5Ln9VNgKBwAPrfJTsUlaZQxNQXj0iRfmLveuLuSldbgAnCbdxLPZtAGI3p7zuxbNAootVv7Xh2haUKlXTcX61sB8NHDZyMll5x_PjUMnczvMSsTKUyNy40AG4rhJ6RD36eZFwD_qIgTEhDHEK1GWrK-qRaoeappLTVtV7fK7Wq&__tn__=-R   

November 30, 2019

Labor group demands ‘medalya para sa manggagawa’ on the eve of Bonifacio Day

 

While organizers prepare for tomorrow’s the grandiose welcome and opening ceremonies of the South East Asian Games (SEA Games) at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, members of the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) holds a symbolic unveiling of medals that reflect Philippine realities at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, Friday morning.

Andres Bonifacio’s 156^th Day celebration on November 30 coincides with the opening of the 30^th SEA Games. The working class hero’s day is by tradition celebrated through street marches by organized workers who make use of the occasion to raise age old and present day issues. Tomorrow, PM and labor groups under the banner of Nagkaisa! labor coalition will be marching from the Mabuhay Rotonda to Mendiola.

“Hindi lang ang ating mga atleta ang may laban sa SEA Games. Ang mga manggagawa ay patuloy ding nakikipaglaban sa noon ay pangarap na nina Bonifacio na kalayaan at kaginhawahan. Kaya’t ang tanong namin ngayon: May medalya ba para sa manggagawang Pinoy sa harap ng pagiging fastest growing economy ng Pilipinas dito sa ASEAN?,” stated PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

Six symbolic medals for “Panalo ang Pinas” and “Laban ng Pinoy” were unveiled by PM members at Liwasang Bonifacio.  Printed for the “Laban ng Pinoy” medals are demands for wage hike, end to endo and respect for labor and human rights, while for “Panalo ang Pinas” are medals for shooting, rice importation, and weight lifting.

The group explained further that the “Laban ng Pinoy” medals represent the workers’ lingering demands for the free exercise of labor rights and having a fair share from decades of economic growth.

The “Panalo ang Pinas” medals, on the other hand, is a scorn to the prevailing environment of extrajudicial killings in the country, the rice tariffication law that burdens our local farmers, and the kind of leadership the country has at present, represented by the “three brightest stars” (Duterte, Go, and Cayetano) in Philippine politics.

“Hangad namin ang matagumpay na pagdaraos ng SEA Games dito sa ating bansa. Pero ang mga medalyang ginto ay higit pang kikinang kung may sariling medalya na kumikilala at magpapasaya sa buhay ng uring manggagawa,” concluded Miranda.

Photos of the activity can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10157637737124323?__xts__[0]=68.ARAn6-GMxwARR7qpY1oScEC3ekZbxGpX5IrLSegz0XHYB2CyraT4YSP0hKOdWPClp--TcQdtTe9raovNypx2qx7grv30G_34JfRBD7g1ITPn3sid-1Of2C9XtjX4j7NPaka9Q1sNY0K2IevrDpR52FOSp_KSmyXD6vyUAmc8sj5Ln9VNgKBwAPrfJTsUlaZQxNQXj0iRfmLveuLuSldbgAnCbdxLPZtAGI3p7zuxbNAootVv7Xh2haUKlXTcX61sB8NHDZyMll5x_PjUMnczvMSsTKUyNy40AG4rhJ6RD36eZFwD_qIgTEhDHEK1GWrK-qRaoeappLTVtV7fK7Wq&__tn__=-R

29 November 2019

Advisory: Unveiling of “Panalo ang Pinas” at “Laban ng Pinoy” medals

MEDIA ADVISORY

PARTIDO MANGGAGAWA

28 November 2019

Contact: Judy Miranda

09175570777

Request for coverage 

Unveiling of “Panalo ang Pinas”

at “Laban ng Pinoy” medals

November 29, 2019   10:00 AM

Liwasang Bonifacio

The celebration of the 156^th  Day of working class hero Andres Bonifacio coincides with the opening of the 30^th SEA Games. Members of Partido Manggagawa will be holding a symbolic action on the eve of the Bonifacio Day celebration.

Hindi lang ang ating mga atleta ang may laban sa SEA Games. Ang mga manggagawa ay patuloy ding nakikipaglaban sa noon ay pangarap na ni Bonifacio na Kalayaan at Kaginhawahan. 

May medalya ba para sa manggagawang Pinoy sa harap ng pagiging fastest growing economy ng Pilipinas dito sa ASEAN?

Labor demands tripartite investigation over raids and mass arrests in Bacolod

Photo from Kodao.org

The country’s biggest labor coalition, Nagkaisa!, is demanding a tripartite investigation over the simultaneous raids and mass arrests conducted by security forces Thursday night against members of militant labor and women groups in Bacolod City to protect workers’ right to self organization. 

“We won’t let this assault on freedom pass without demanding accountability from authorities who ordered these Gestapo-style raids. We also want to send notice to the government that labor organizations in the country are jointly opposed to this kind of highhanded approach in dealing with legitimate sectoral organizations,”said Nagkaisa! in a statement sent to media. 

Some 57 people were arrested during the simultaneous raids conducted by a joint military and police forces against the Kilusang Mayor Uno, National Federation of Sugar Workers and Gabriela offices in the cities of Bacolod and Escalante in Negros last Thursday night. Cases of illegal possession of firearms and explosives were filed against those who were arrested, a charge vehemently denied by said groups. 

Nagkaisa! is pointing out that while the raids and mass arrests were carried out by virtue of a search warrant issued in Quezon City, it believes that this legality is eclipsed by the repressive character attending it which is common only under authoritarian rule.

The least that could have been done by security forces, the group said is to coordinate with labor department under the spirit of the Guideline on the conduct of the DOLE, DILG, DND, DOJ, AFP and PNP relative to the exercise of Workers’ Right and Activity.

“We envisage further that there’s more to this than meets the eye. Its chilling effect was obvious as they happen at a time the democratic spaces in the country were shrinking fast, including, among others, the systematic repression of trade union rights and the employment of violence against trade union organizers. We therefore demand a stop to the institutionalization of these draconian measures,” stated Nagkaisa! 

Labor groups were deeply concerned that the labor department’s ineffective response against trade union killings and red-tagging has emboldened our security forces to step up its brazen campaign against organized labor. 

“Thus we urge Secretary Silvestre Bello to step in, form a tripartite body and remind the military and security forces that DOLE has the prerogative in dealing with organized labor,” Nagkaisa said. 

Nagkaisa! is also urging the government to invite the ILO High Level Mission to visit the country the soonest time possible. 

The group finally reminded the government that the labor movement will always come to the defence of freedom and human rights as it values the union principle ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’. 

“An assault against a part of the labor movement, therefore, is an attack against the whole movement,” concluded Nagkaisa!

03 November 2019 

Cavite garments workers to spend Undas at the picketline

Workers of a garments factory in the First Cavite Industrial Estate in Dasmarinas, Cavite will be spending undas at the picketlines instead of the graves of their departed love ones. The dispute between workers and management of Sejung Apparel Inc. is on its third week.

A hearing at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board ended last Wednesday without any agreement between the union and management. The union is demanding the reopening of the factory and the return to work of all employees.

The workers started their picket protest last October 14 after management locked out them out. The lockout happened just a week after the union submitted a proposal for a collective bargaining agreement.

“This is not the first time and unfortunately not the last time that a recently unionized factory suddenly closed down. This is the action of last resort by management in order to bust and avoid unions. We have seen this happen with the Faremo garments factory at the Cavite Economic Zone in 2016 and the Cebu Nisico electronics firm at the Mactan Economic Zone in 2017,” stated Rene Magtubo, national chair of Partido Manggagawa (PM).

Josephine Odchimar, union president, lamented that the freedom to unionize are dead in the ecozones. Tonight, workers staying at the picketline plan to light candles in memory of their dead family members but also in protest at the death of labor rights in the country.

Odchimar vowed that the union will continue the picket protest until workers are allowed back to work. She also called on the administration of the First Cavite Industrial Estate to respect the right of workers to protest in compliance with the DOLE-PEZA-PNP guidelines of 2011 and 2012. These guidelines on the right of workers to protest and strike in the ecozones were enacted in the wake of a high level mission by the ILO in 2009.

PM has been assisting export zone workers in Cavite and Cebu in their bid to improve wages and working conditions. “We call on the DOLE and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to intervene as this is a clear case of violation of the freedom of association (FOA). While the dialogue between labor groups, DOLE and PEZA about ensuring respect for freedom of association has been much delayed, union busting complaints like that in Sejung are happening with no action from government institutions. This is among the reasons the International Labour Organization last June resolved to investigate the government’s enforcement of Conventions 87 and 98 about freedom of association and collective bargaining respectively,” Magtubo explained. ###

Pictures of the protest can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10157527744059323?__xts__[0]=68.ARCaRRYPn8rVb-E5n76a9LjSdXW5Rflicg5-84RMiVYS3HTDeQSZjkWQVv9XP5MlwErctJovaQfN37Rqc9rI75yec2Fm-6tyXeRu6onpbPzE0r9i3R44mZ5bywgXRVBKKENfK9OcqXj4HDskc4OY-DLBMmCjat96DEmwAbzAO49CtpmU7F6lu2GhGlwetUGB0Pj7K91gBsgRNiHtjM_kn4GcHWNbJyIGliqThdAMvpUlTYOJLFtWh2IiY9XCB2d_mzsc6wi6r91kk6t2NZSXRRiJbtjkhx_yQlm8-apsTQgPoW7zs0iaGZyHkEfYYwhnrPy4mz692vdYTQUOASJF&__tn__=-R

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10157504983004323?__xts__[0]=68.ARCiJTCeLzNjnnKIZyeoJ4GmB-8lAoX8-1b4W4TfA_jbykXfmVFQBwz156jFNvYcrv9HfuGySZ6_pIBj-CnsjagaxxUKn5SL2wXsNTRzKms7dE1flHv7KJp_cvILr8UYvG0WGawmr8fGZJj9I0MlurLI1rIX_XvacVpct4_sDTUQ0L-lQacqfMftuWkcRdP72GTXlMizP7CcE7B650EJ0NW01TUqUJDLAf9mNgaYpWcIsQqqv0Kr0ciAyywKZ9KfJRInITjQmFFaSeCNGEdgyvQ8n4GAQQ-HeKeQjvLqTOksKAo38DbPZEIocfrl80HIxJePMVJzSE2n0YTfsUfY&__tn__=-R

November 1, 2019