Monday, November 30, 2020

Partido Manggagawa Demands the Release of Five Unionists Arrested in Cebu


As workers commemorated Bonifacio Day in a nationally coordinated action, Partido Manggagawa (Labor Party) demanded the release of unionists Dennis Derige, Myra Opada, Joksan Branzuela, Jonel Labrador, and Cristito Pangan.

 

Opada is the union president at Philippine Light Leather, Pangan is the union president at First Glory Apparel while Derige, Branzuela and Labrador are union organizers.

 

The Mactan Economic Zone has been a site of struggle between local labor and foreign capital.  Last Friday, Nov. 27th, some 300 workers of the First Glory Apparel were fired -- the latest in the surge of mass layoffs at garment firms in the zone in the past three months.  The Sports City group of companies laid off 4,000 workers, Yuenthai fired 200 workers, FCO laid off 100 workers and Kor Landa retrenched 67 workers.

 

To mark Bonifacio Day, members of the Mactan Ecozone Workers Alliance, Partido Manggagawa, and Sentro assembled at Gate 3 and marched to Gate 2 where they held a program highlighting the Zone capitalists' attack on the right of workers to unionize, bargain collectively, seek redress of grievance and assemble peacefully. However, police broke up the rally and arrested the five unionists.

 

Rene Magtubo of PM called for an end to the repression of labor rights and the harassment of human rights defenders.  "Activism is not terrorism," said Magtubo.  "This is precisely the theme of today's national and global commemoration of Bonifacio Day."

 

The arrest of the PM Cebu labor organizers underscores the escalating attacks on workers' rights in the country, said Magtubo.  "It adds to the unsolved killings of unionists, busting of unions, and red-tagging of union activists." 

 

Last year, PM-Cavite labor organizer Dennis Sequena was brutally murdered while facilitating a labor seminar.  No one has been arrested, much less charged with his murder.

 

The impunity with which workers are fired in economic zones like Mactan, in the middle of a pandemic, graphically illustrates the inability of the government to ensure job security for native labor, and its puppetry toward foreign capital.  As employment shrinks steadily and dramatically in the country, the brunt of the double blow of a recession and a pandemic is felt most grievously by the Philippine working class.

Arrest of Cebu labor organizers slammed

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) denounced the arrest of several of its leaders and organizers in Cebu during the Bonifacio Day action of workers in the gate of the Mactan Economic Zone.

 

“We call for the release of PM leaders Dennis Derige, Myra Opada, Joksan Branzuela, Jonel Labrador and Cristito Pangan. Activism is not terrorism. Repression of labor rights and harassment of human rights defenders must stop. This is precisely the theme of today’s national and global commemoration of Bonifacio Day,” declard Rene Magtubo.

 

Members of Mactan Ecozone Workers Alliance, Partido Manggagawa and Sentro assembled at the Gate 3 of the Mactan Economic Zone at 8:00 am then marched towards Gate 2 where they held a program that highlighted the attacks on workers’ rights to unionize, bargain collectively, seek redress of grievances, and peaceful assembly.

 

Retrenched workers of factories in the Mactan ecozone joined the Bonifacio Day commemoration in Cebu against repression of labor rights. Last Friday, some 300 workers of First Glory Apparel were fired. This comes on the heels of mass layoffs at other garment firms in the Mactan ecozone in the last three months—the Sports City group of companies retrenched 4,000 workers, Yuenthai fired 2000 workers and FCO laid off 100 workers.

 

Magtubo insisted that “The arrest of PM Cebu labor organizers puts a spotlight on the escalating attacks on workers’ rights in the country and adds to the unsolved killings of unionists, busting of unions and red-tagging of union activists. Last PM-Cavite labor organizer Dennis Sequena was brutally murdered last year while facilitating a labor seminar.” 

November 30, 2020


Saturday, November 28, 2020

Garment firm layoffs 300 to bust union in export zone

 


A garment exporting firm in the Mactan Economic Zone yesterday laid off 300 employees in a move that surprised those affected. This morning hundreds of its workers protested at the factory gate of First Glory Apparel then marched around the ecozone complex to air their demand for reinstatement.

 

“First Glory management is a Grinch for firing workers weeks before Christmas. Is this their Christmas gift to workers who have worked loyally these past years?,” declared Cristito Pangan, president of the labor union and one of the workers retrenched. The workers are refusing to accept the termination offer and demanding their reinstatement.

 

Pangan added that “First Glory is just using covid and the bankruptcy of its main client J.Crew of US as an alibi to bust the union which has a pending petition for certification election. Production has not decreased and in fact workers are asked to report for duty even on holidays and Sunday. This belies management’s claims. Likewise, we know that J.Crew has already exited bankruptcy this September and is operating normally in the US. That is also why we are still making clothes for this global brand.”

 

The firings at First Glory comes on the heels of mass layoffs at other garment firms in the Mactan ecozone. Earlier the Sports City group of companies retrenched 4,000 workers, Yuenthai fired 2000 workers, FCO laid off 100 workers and Kor Landa, retrenched 67 workers.

 

“The hemorrhage of jobs at the Mactan ecozone continues despite rosy reports from the government that the economy is recovering. Workers are facing the double whammy of job losses and high prices without letup even with Christmas just on the horizon and the covid vaccine nearing distribution stage,” declared Dennis Derige spokesperson of Partido Manggagawa-Cebu.

 

Derige announced that the coming Bonifacio Day action of workers will highlight the plight of workers in the Mactan ecozone along with the threat of the anti-terror law and other repressive measures in the time of covid. The November 30 action of workers in Cebu is nationally coordinated with other labor organizations and is also supported by global union federations.

 

“Without labor rights and civil liberties, workers will suffer under the despotism of capitalists intent on maximizing profits by squeezing their employees. Higher wages, better benefits, shorter hours and workplace safety are inseparable from the fight for democracy in society. This is the cry of workers today in the Mactan ecozone and in November 30 in Cebu and elsewhere,” Derige explained.

Photos of protest: https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10158665246399323

Video here: https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10158665217639323

November 28, 2020

Cebu garment firm layoffs 300, workers hold protest today



A garment exporting firm in the Mactan Economic Zone yesterday laid off 300 employees in a move that surprised those affected. This morning hundreds of its workers protested at the factory gate of First Glory Apparel then marched around the ecozone complex to air their demand for reinstatement.

 

“First Glory management is a Grinch for firing workers weeks before Christmas. Ito ba ng pamaskong handog nila sa mga manggagawang tapat na nagsilbi sa kompanya?,” declared Cristito Pangan, one of the workers retrenched. The workers are refusing to accept the termination offer and demanding their reinstatement.

 

Pangan added that “First Glory is just using covid and the bankruptcy of its main client as alibi to replace regular workers with contract employees. Production has not decreased and in fact workers are asked to report for duty even on holidays and Sunday. This belies management’s claims. Likewise, we know that the main customer of First Glory has already exited bankruptcy this September and is operating normally in the US. That is also why we are making clothes for this global brand.”

 

The firings at First Glory comes on the heels of mass layoffs at other garment firms in the Mactan ecozone. Earlier the Sports City group of companies retrenched 4,000 workers, Yuenthai fired 2000 workers and FCO laid off 100 workers.

 

“The hemorrhage of jobs at the Mactan ecozone continues despite rosy reports from the government that the economy is recovering. Workers are facing the double whammy of job losses and high prices without letup even with Christmas just on the horizon and the covid vaccine nearing distribution stage,” declared Dennis Derige spokesperson of Partido Manggagawa-Cebu.

 

Derige announced that the coming Bonifacio Day action of workers will highlight the plight of workers in the Mactan ecozone along with the threat of the anti-terror law and other repressive measures in the time of covid. The November 30 action of workers in Cebu is nationally coordinated with other labor organizations and is also supported by global union federations.

 

“Without labor rights and civil liberties, workers will suffer under the despotism of capitalists intent on maximizing profits by squeezing their employees. Higher wages, better benefits, shorter hours and workplace safety are inseparable from the fight for democracy in society. This is the cry of workers today in the Mactan ecozone and in November 30 in Cebu and elsewhere,” Derige explained.

Photos of protest: https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10158665246399323

Video here: https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10158665217639323

November 28, 2020


Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Unity ride by Citi Muber riders to demand inclusion in motorcycle taxi test run

 

MEDIA ADVISORY

November 24, 2020

CITI MUBER RIDERS

Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG)



WHAT: Thousands of Citi Muber Riders will hold UNITY RIDE to demand inclusion of 3000 Citi Muber riders in Motorcycle Taxi Test Run at LTFRB. 


WHEN: Tomorrow, Nov. 25, 2020


CONDUCT:

8am – Assembly and short program at University Avenue corner Emilio Jacinto Street UP Diliman

9:30am – Motorcade to LTFRB. 


For further details, contact Don Pangan@09953862722. ###

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Foodpanda riders protest harassed by police, 1 arrested


 

 

Some 700 riders of the food delivery app Foodpanda held a “unity ride” today to seek redress of their grievances. However the peaceful protest at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) was marred by an altercation with police from the Intramuros station. Jack Vergara of the Food Panda Riders Association was arrested while the cellphone of Romeo Maglunsod of the Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG) was confiscated by the police.

 

“We condemn the harassment by the Manila police of a peaceful concerted action by workers that is a constitutionally guaranteed right. We ask Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to ensure that workers’ right to redress of grievances is observed at the DOLE area. That is traditionally a site of protest but police are now using the pandemic as an excuse to suppress the right to peaceful assembly,” stated Rene Magtubo, national chair of Partido Manggagawa which is supporting the Foodpanda riders.

 

The Foodpanda riders assembled at the Film Center/Cultural Center of the Philippines area before proceeding to the DOLE to seek an audience and deliver a letter addressed to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello.

 

The groups are asking the DOLE to conduct an inspection for the purpose of resolving the grievances of the Foodpanda riders. Riders are discontented over recent changes in Foodpanda policies that have negatively affected their pay and working conditions.

 

“Pay is tied to bookings which are affected by so-called ‘grades.’ But the grading system is opaque. Grades have fallen due to changes in the system which penalize riders. Pay has also been reduced per delivery due to a new system,” explained Don Pangan of KAGULONG.

 

Further, a policy called “undispatch” forces riders to rush in order to pick up an order, thereby putting their safety at peril. The groups are demanding the removal of “undispatch,” and transparency and fairness in policies, including the computation of the pay for deliveries.

 

Pangan added that “Food Panda riders are called delivery partners but in reality are employees of the company owning the app. Food Panda riders are subject to control and supervision of the company as shown by the impact of policy changes on pay and condition. Foodpanda riders are not independent contractors but ordinary employees of th company owning the app.”

 

The groups are calling on the DOLE to act on their request for dialogue and inspection. “This is only the start of our advocacy for the rights and welfare of Foodpanda rider and other gig workers. Ang laban ng Foodpanda riders ay laban ng lahat ng gig workers,” insisted Pangan.


Food Panda Riders Association

Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG)

November 18, 2020

 


Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Media Advisory: Unity ride by Foodpanda drivers today



MEDIA ADVISORY

18 November 2020

FOODPANDA RIDERS ASSOCIATION

KAPATIRAN SA DALAWANG GULONG (KAGULONG)


WHAT: FOOD PANDA RIDERS TO HOLD UNITY RIDE TO DOLE CALLING FOR AN INVESTIGATION TO FOODPANDA COMPANY’S IREGULARITIES AND UNFAIR TREATMENT AGAINST ITS DELIVERY RIDERS.


WHEN:  NOVEMBER 18, 2020


CONDUCT:

7:00 AM - ASSEMBLY AT CCP/FILM CENTER W. DIOKNO BLVD. PASAY CITY.

8:30 AM – MOTORCADE TO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE)

ROUTE: ROXAS BLVD. – KALAW -MA. OROSA – CROSSING PADRE BURGOS AVE. – GENERAL LUNA- MURALLA ST. EXPECTED TIME OF ARRIVAL; 9:30AM.


FOR FURTHER DETAILS, CONTACT DON PANGAN AT 09953862722.

### 

Sunday, November 15, 2020

CAPITALIST COUNTRIES HAVE CLIMATE DEBTS TO PAY

 By Wilson Fortaleza*

 

The Philippines’ contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission does not even reach one half of one percent of the world’s total, but Filipinos are paying a hefty price for the massive loss of lives, injuries, loss of jobs, and the physical destruction of shelters, farms, and government infrastructures.  While those who pollute the planet most, the filthy rich capitalist countries and their transnational corporations (TNCs), wallow in wealth in the safety of their highly-secured havens.

 

The grim images of every typhoon’s aftermath show not only the horrors of devastation but also the cost that come hard to imagine.  Costs are enormous, but do we have any idea how much they are in peso or in dollar terms? And who, by the way, are paying those bills and at what cost?

 

Storm leaves a price tag

 

Damage from “Ulysses” (Vamco) as of this writing remains partial. Preliminary estimates as of November 13, 2020 by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) placed damages at P4.254B ($88.29M).[1]  Damage from “Ulysses” is believed to be far-reaching than “Ondoy” (Ketsana) as the former brought more areas under water, including Cagayan, when big dams up north released waters that exceed their holding capacity.

 

There are conflicting reports in terms of the number of fatalities as government agencies issue contrasting figures.  The NDRRM counts 42 in its latest report. The police count is 53. Ondoy, which hit mostly the eastern and southern part of Metro Manila and Central Luzon, left 747 dead in 2009. Its damage to agriculture was estimated to have reached P3.1B ($64.3M).[2] Another report estimated Ondoy’s total damage to have reached $1.09B.[3]

 

“Ulysses” came just several days after two powerful typhoons, “Rolly” (Goni) and “Quinta” (Molave) hit the southern part of Luzon. News reports said the combined damage to agriculture from both is estimated to reach P4.6B ($95.46M). Total cost of damage from ‘Rolly’, the strongest as of date for 2020, was P11B ($228.27M).[4]

 

In 2016, the Philippine government has conducted an official accounting of the total damages from natural disasters that hit the country from 2006-2015. The 2016 Compendium of Philippine Environment Statistics (CPES) came up with the total of P374B ($7.76B). It includes damage to agriculture worth P225.63B ($4.67B), infrastructure P81.97B ($1.70B), and private property at P66.598B ($1.38B)[5].

 

But another study indicates that damage from the 2013 “Yolanda” (Hyan) alone, the strongest typhoon on earth ever which killed 6,300 people, injured 28,688, left 1,062 missing persons, 16,078,181 affected persons, and damaged 1,140,332 houses have reached P571.1B ($11.85B), according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).[6] In a separate report the International Labor Organization (ILO) said some 6 million jobs were affected in areas hit by “Yolanda”, while another 800,000 were destroyed by typhoon “Hagupit” (Ruby) a year later.[7]

 

Who’s footing the bill?

 

The PIDS report said the Philippines, based on catastrophe modeling, faces an annual average of P133.2B losses due to tropical cyclones and P43.5B from earthquake. Now, how do we fund regular disasters which price come higher than this average as we have shown above?

 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), commonly known as calamity fund, and the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) have been created for this purpose. Over the last 3 years, however, their allocation suffered funding cuts when they should be increasing amidst the intensifying climate crisis. The NDRMFF fund was raised to P38.9B in 2016 from P6B in 2011 but it was cut to P15.755B in 2017[8]. A P30B calamity fund was proposed for 2019 but it was cut again by Congress to P19.6B. The fund for 2020 was reduced again to P16B. The allotment for the proposed 2021 budget is P20B[9], only a billion higher than the newly-concocted P19B fund for ending the local communist insurgency.

 

Evidently, this level of funding never meets even the most immediate post-disaster needs of Filipinos, notwithstanding the bottlenecks and issues of corruption in the response process. In other words, most of the post recovery efforts come from the people themselves and, in the case of businesses where 99 percent are micro in scale, the resiliency of enterprising Pinoys.

 

For ordinary workers who earn $6 only in the daily average wage, this glorified concept of Filipino resiliency is nothing but a leveled up sacrifice in the face of ever-increasing neglect and hostility by the ruling elite. This resiliency, I hope, would later advance into a level of resistance; otherwise, the working class is locked inside this cycle of permanent sacrifice.

 

The Filipino people have been making a lot of sacrifices from climate crisis.  And government funds regularly allocated for disaster response are money taken out from the much needed social services. We should assert that funding for climate change damages must come from external sources, particularly from Annex 1 countries.[10] Officially, the country has also been committing significant emission reductions targets (70%) in climate negotiations. Yet those who are assigned to foot the bill, the highly industrialized countries, are failing in their financial obligations. 

 

Climate reparation

 

As the current climate change narrative departs from natural to man-made causes, so must the consciousness of the working class is on this issue. For what we seek is no longer which between the natural and man-made phenomenon has a greater value in the climate change debate, but who among the most responsible have the greatest price to pay for the bill for climate damage.

 

Climate scientists have closed this ‘natural’ vs ‘man-made’ debate several years back when they all pointed to industrial activities over the last 50 years or so which cause the rapid increase in GHG emissions, thus, the rise in global temperature. In short, capitalist countries which own those great carbon emitting industries owe developing countries like the Philippines billions of dollars in climate debt. And since they were responsible for the climate crisis, they earn a price to pay for the climate damage that is happening in poorer and most vulnerable countries.

 

There is mounting cry for climate justice from the South. There must be reparation from the North.

 

But victims have climate obligations, too, in ensuring reduction in carbon emissions. Workers do understand this duty as more jobs and sources of life will be destroyed as the planet keeps on warming. Moreover, we truly recognize that the only way to stop the planet from heating up further is by shifting the production and consumption processes in favour of low-carbon economic activities.

 

The Philippine labor agenda on recovery

 

COVID-19 merely compounded these pre-pandemic problems. But decoupling climate from the health crisis, which the Duterte government consciously does in terms of emergency response and recovery program, is ignoring the interconnectedness of these crises and rejecting the viability of nature and employment-based strategy for recovery in favour of market-based, business-as-usual solutions.

 

It is for this reason that workers organizations in the Philippines affiliated with the broad labor coalition Nagkaisa (United) are pushing for a labor agenda on recovery which includes demands for income and employment guarantees[11] to address the deteriorating jobs crisis. Our demand for employment guarantee contains a proposal for the creation of climate jobs in renewable energy, housing and building sector, transportation, and nature conservation.

 

We are advancing this climate jobs agenda based on the principles that recovery should not just heal but also make people more healthy and secure; that it does not simply restore lost jobs and free markets but one which creates green, decent jobs and a sustainable future.  We also campaign for a tax on wealth[12] to finance the recovery and development agenda.

 

Needless to say, that recovery from COVID-19 and the transition to a safer and better world can be made faster and viable when binding climate justice and reparation obligations replace the menial act of donations and loans coming from the rich capitalist nations. ###



*Wilson Fortaleza is a member of the Executive Committee of the Partido Manggagawa and one of the convenors of Nagkaisa Labor Coalition.

[1] https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1360146/ulysses-leaves-p4-25-b-damage-to-infra-dpwh

[5] Natural Disaster Damage at P374B in 2006-2015.” Business World. Bworldonline.com. February 5, 2018. https://www.bworldonline.com/natural-disaster-damage-p374b-2006-2015/

[6] https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1721.pdf

[7] International Labour Organization, 100 days on, Haiyan survivors need more jobs to recover [Feature]. 17 February 2014.   https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/multimedia/features/WCMS_235730/lang--en/index.htm

[8] Ibid, PIDS.