Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Labor Yearender: Workers are in the frontlines of a fight against the pandemic of rights violations

 

Without a doubt, covid-19 has gravely affected everyone, rich and poor, employer and worker. Still, workers and the poor are the ones who have been disproportionately impacted. The double-digit economic recessions in the second and third quarters of this year has been felt as grinding poverty and daily hunger by 7 million Filipino families as revealed in the SWS survey in September.

 

The Philippine economy is in worse shape compared to its neighbors is due to the harsh and long lockdown. It is the authoritarian response of the Duterte administration that is to blame for the economic recession and the adverse effect on the working class. The administration was late in forming a response and once it did, it treated the pandemic—similar to how it treated the drug addiction—as a peace and order concern instead of a public health matter. The severe lockdown shuttered the economy, and left workers and the poor without jobs and livelihood for months on end. The aid provided by the government reached only 3 million households out of 16 million Filipinos who were temporarily jobless during the lockdown. Today 4.5 million are unemployed and 2.2 million more are out of work but are not officially jobless only because they stopped looking for employment.

 

To make matters worse, employers used the pandemic as an opportunity to deny workers their benefits and their rights. Workers were put on floating status for more than the six months allowed by law. Establishments reopened but replaced regular workers with new hires on endo status. Some employers shutdown their firms without paying workers separation and other benefits. Capitalist Grinches are exploiting the pandemic to bust unions as shown by the experience of the Arcya Glass Employees Union in Laguna and the First Glory labor union in the Mactan ecozone.

 

While the pandemic of rights violations spread, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) exercised social distancing from workers. The DOLE released a series of orders and advisories that denigrated labor standards and rights. Labor Advisory 17 allowed employers to cut wages and benefits as long as workers will agree. But workers were left with no choice but to bite the bullet of wage cuts as the DOLE suspended the filing of complaints under DO 213. Labor groups called on the DOLE to dialogue but were repeatedly denied. Meanwhile the government banned protests and arrested those who tried using the pandemic as an alibi. In one incident, the picketline of Sejung Apparel  workers in the First Cavite Industrial Estate was dispersed by police and guards in the middle of Black Friday night for allegedly violating quarantine rules. With workers strikes and street protests effectively banned, Congress railroaded the Anti-Terror Law.

                                    

But workers are fighting back and are in the frontlines of the struggle to reclaim their rights. The Arcya Glass workers spent their holidays in the picketlines to protest the continued operation of the factory despite allegedly being permanently closed. The First Glory labor union has voted to go on strike to demand the reinstatement of 300 fired workers. Labor groups in the Philippines together with international union federations have formed the Caucus of Global Unions Pilipinas to call for the repeal of the Anti-Terror Law on pain of the country losing its trade privileges with Europe. Workers in four big factories in the Mactan ecozone have organized into unions as a result of recent grievances over lack of aid during the pandemic and long-running issues over wages and benefits. Certifications elections are due to be held next year in the four firms. We predict that 2021 will see a resurgence of workers’ actions to defend democratic freedoms and labor rights.


December 29, 2020


Thursday, December 24, 2020

Workers to spend Christmas at Laguna picketline

 


 

Workers of a glass factory in Laguna are spending their holidays on the picketlines as their labor dispute continues unresolved. Some 200 employees, about a dozen of whom are women, were terminated as Arcya Glass Corporation in Calamba, Laguna filed for permanent closure in November 16. However, the Arcya Glass Employees Union is accusing the company of union busting as the factory continues to operate with a reduced workforce.

 

“We believe that Arcya Glass is feigning closure as a way to bust the union and replace regular workers with contractual employees who will work for less wages and benefits. Despite the alleged closure, a skeletal force is working and trucks from Pedraja Trucking are ferrying bottles from the factory for delivery to Arcya’s customers,” stated Joseph Legada, president of the Arcya Glass Employees Union.

 

“The mass layoffs in Laguna and elsewhere are symptomatic of the pandemic of job loss that is happening without effective intervention by the government. This ties in with news reports that 4.5 million are unemployed this year and 2.2 million are also out of work but are not officially jobless only because they stopped looking for work. The restricted definition of unemployment limits it only to the jobless who are actively looking for work in the last six months,” asserted Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

 

He added that “Moreover, we are seeing that capitalists are exploiting the covid-19 crisis to bust unions and shift to contract work. This is shown by the experience of the Arcya Glass Employees Union and the First Glory labor union in the Mactan ecozone.”

 

Last November 27 the garment firm First Glory Apparel in the Mactan ecozone fired 300 workers, including all the union officers. The union has a pending petition for certification election. A rally of terminated First Glory workers last November 30 was broken up by police and led to the arrest of five union officers and labor organizers. The so-called MEPZ 5 were later released as their cases for “disobedience to person in authority” were dismissed.

 

Arcya Glass put workers on one-month forced leave in March 15 as the covid lockdown started. The company then filed for temporary closure until October 15. Finally the company declared permanent closure on November 16. The Arcya Glass Employees Union has a pending case for unpaid benefits at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board and a complaint for illegal closure and union busting at the National Labor Relations Commission.

 

Magtubo insisted that “We demand that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello convene a dialogue with labor groups on the continued hemorrhage of jobs inside and outside of the ecozones. We also ask Secretary Bello to remind police that existing DOLE-PEZA-PNP rules on labor disputes prohibit security personnel from harassing workers’ concerted actions.”

 

Photos of the Arcya workers protest can be accessed at

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10158723479239323

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10158678405269323.

December 24, 2020

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Workers in Cebu ecozone firm vote for strike

 

Workers of a garments firm in the Mactan Economic Zone in Cebu have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike. Members of the labor union at the First Glory Philippines voted 103 yes with none against in a strike poll conducted yesterday. A meeting has been called by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) this afternoon to avert an actual strike.

 

“First Glory management has taken a hardline position in all of the mediation meetings called by the Philippine Export Zone Authority and the NCMB despite being unable to substantiate its claim of losses. We demand that First Glory reinstate all 300 workers that were retrenched as this was done in bad faith and for the purpose of busting the newly-formed union,” declared Cristito Pangan, president of First Glory labor union.

 

The First Glory factory has been embroiled in a labor dispute since it fired some 300 workers last November 27. The next day, the workers staged a march inside the Mactan ecozone that ended with a program at the MEPZ gate. Then a rally of terminated First Glory workers last November 30 was broken up by police and led to the arrest of Pangan and four labor organizers. The so-called MEPZ 5 were later released as their cases for “disobedience to person in authority” were dismissed.

 

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

 

Most of the dismissed First Glory workers were union members, including all of the officers and the president. The union’s petition for certification election has been granted by the Department of Labor and Employment. Petitions for certification election have also been granted by the DOLE to unions in three factories of the Sports City group of companies.

 

Pangan insisted that “First Glory management is using losses due to lost orders as its alibi for retrenchment. However, its main customer has already exited from bankruptcy in September. Further, production is in full swing and workers are asked to report for duty even on holidays and Sunday.”

 

“The labor dispute at First Glory is symptomatic of the epidemic of labor rights violations during the time of covid. Employers are exploiting the covid-19 crisis to bust unions and shift to contract work. Aside from First Glory, this also revealed by the shutdown of the Arcya Glass factory in Laguna,” Pangan averred. Arcya Glass workers have setup a picketline outside the factory in Calamba.

December 23, 2020

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Labor dispute at Arcya Glass


Symptomatic of the epidemic of labor rights violations during the time of covid-19 is the ongoing labor dispute at Arcya Glass Corp. in Laguna. Employers are exploiting the covid-19 crisis to bust unions and shift to contract work as shown by the experience of the Arcya Glass Employees Union, and others like the First Glory labor union in the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ).

 

Arcya Glass is a factory in an industrial estate in Calamba, Laguna. Some 200 employees, about a dozen of whom are women, were terminated after the firm filed for permanent closure in November 16. However workers are accusing the company of union busting as the factory continues to operate with a reduced workforce. Likewise the Arcya Glass Employees Union, the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for the workers, believes that the company is feigning closure as a way to replace regular workers with contractual employees who will work for less wages and benefits.

 

Arcya Glass union has set-up a picketline at the factory gates to protest the illegal closure and union busting. The workers are demanding the reopening of the factory, the reinstatement of the fired workers and the opening of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

 

Arcya Glass Corp. is a maker of bottles for local manufacturers like Nutriasia, CDO, Tita Ely, Emperador, Webenton Distillery, Commonwealth Foods, Global Foods, La Cometa, 90 Pacific, Malabon Soap and Guaran Foods.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Labor standards violations at garment export firm

FCO is a garments manufacturer in the Cebu Economic Zone that supplies to brands Victoria's Secret, Champion and Black/Pink. The company retrenched more than a hundred workers last September without paying separation benefits due them according to law. Aside from this, FCO also did not grant holiday pay to its workers. The firm likewise hires workers on short-term contracts then rehires them on new ones to avoid the regularization of its employees. All of these are in violation of Philippine labor laws or regulations.


Nagkaisa statement on ICC's findings of crimes against humanity in Duterte's drug war

 Press Statement

December 15, 2020

Ref Attu. Sonny Matula

N1 Chairperson

CP 09178079041 


World leaders must always be reminded that they are accountable to the people they represent. When those in power fail in their responsibilities to their people, domestic and international laws provide us with the instruments or remedial measures to correct injustice. 


The NAGKAISA Labor Coalition (NAGKAISA) welcomes the report by the International Criminal Court that a “reasonable basis” has been found for crimes against humanity committed in the course of the Duterte government’s “war” on drugs. This report provides glaring evidence that the Philippine government has horribly failed in its duty to protect the lives and dignity of its citizens. Instead, what we have seen under Duterte is the intensification of violence against our fellow Filipinos. From the drug war killings to the red-tagging, intimidation, as well as  murder of trade unionists and progressive activists, the Duterte government does not represent a break from previous administrations, rather merely showing its preference for violence when compared to earlier regimes. 


NAGKAISA, together with the broader progressive movement and our friends in civil society,  welcomes the ICC report. We believe that impunity and the abuse of power has continued for too long in the Philippines. While a warning to self-serving government officials, Duterte’s possible indictment for crimes against humanity is also a huge boost to the struggle of people’s organizations on the ground. International pressure will bring much needed support to the various groups and individuals that have devoted their lives to the service of Filipinos. 


It is these activists, unionists, and reformers that have been the focus of government repression, not the thieves in power that have robbed Filipinos of a dignified life for decades. We look forward to holding the Duterte government accountable for its crimes against the working people of the Philippines.


Those victims of atrocities are not hopeles. Since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials after WW2, a number of civilian and military key  leaders  have been brought before domestic and international courts to be held accountable to charges including war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Many were convicted, some died before the conclusion of their trials and others were acquitted.###

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Labor coalition worried over increasing dropout rate of women in the labor force


The women committee of Nagkaisa labor coalition is calling on the government to roll out a public employment program particularly designed to address the rising number of workers who are dropping out of the labor force, majority of them women.

 

“Women participation in the labor force has been chronically low and has even declined over the last few years, but this pandemic is forcing more women out of the labor force,” stated Nagkaisa women committee head Judy Miranda, citing the analysis made by economist JC Punongbayan.

 

In his article published in Rappler, Punongbayan explained that despite the unemployment rate dropping to 8.7% or 3.8 million from the highs of 10% in July and 17.7% in April, a significant number of employed persons – a whopping 2.23 million workers – also dropped out of the labor force from July to October when labor force participation rate fell to 58.7%. Employed persons in October are less by 1.47 million in October than in July.

 

Inactive members of the labor force are no longer included in the official count of unemployed Filipinos in a particular period. Majority of those who are not in the labor force from July to October are women, with 1.313 million or 153,000 higher than men (1.160 million). 

 

Nagkasia said the government’s recovery program, specifically on employment, must look into this feminization of the jobs crisis so that it can formulate appropriate measures in addressing this gender gap in employment.

 

“Not only is the pandemic forcing more women out of the labor force. Women’s unpaid work is also multiplied once economic activities in the formal sector of the services and the care economy are domesticated and made less visible,” said Miranda, who is also Secretary-General of Partido Manggagawa.

 

She added that still, unemployed women never run out of work as unpaid domestic labor simply replaces their lost hours of employment. A viable public employment program, including paid trainings, must be visible and accessible to women to avoid more dropouts in the labor force amid the lingering pandemic.

 

Nagkaisa is pushing for a public employment program as a strategy for economic recovery and sustainable development. Included in Nagkaisa’s Unemployment Support and Wage Assistance Guarantee (USWAG) proposal is the provision of wage subsidy for the micro and small enterprises, public employment for the unemployed, including paid trainings, and expansion in the public sector sector to take on social tasks such as upgrading the public health system, developing renewable energy and carrying out mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change (climate jobs).

NAGKAISA Labor Coalition

Women Committee

9 December 2020

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

MEDIA ADVISORY: UNITY RIDE FOR RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD TODAY

On the eve of International Human Rights Day…

HUNDREDS OF RIDERS TO CONDUCT “UNITY RIDE” TO CALL FOR RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD AND EXPANSION OF SLOTS FOR MOTORCYCLE TAXI PILOT TEST RUN

December 9, 2020 (Wednesday) 08:00 AM onwards

ASSEMBLY:
8:00 AM – University Avenue corner CP Garcia, UP Diliman, QC
TAKE-OFF (ROUTE):
9:00 AM – UP  LTFRB Main Office (QC)  DOTR Office (Ortigas) – People Power Monument

On the eve of International Human Rights Day, more than 500 motorcycle riders will conduct a “Unity Ride for Rights to Livelihood” going to the head offices of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Transportation Department tomorrow.

The groups will call on the government to expand the participants in the ongoing motorcycle pilot test run to other riders and transport players to accommodate more riders to have decent livelihood during the pandemic.
Short programs and noise barrage will be staged at the UP Diliman, LTFRB and DOTR offices.

MEDIA COVERAGE REQUESTED
Photo Opportunities Available
Contact Person Don Pangan (09953862722)

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Media Advisory: Unity ride for human rights tomorrow

 MEDIA ADVISORY

05 December 2020

Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG)


WHAT: HUNDREDS OF MOTORCYCLIST TO HOLD “RIDE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS” IN COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS WEEK.


WHEN: DECEMBER 06, 2020


CONDUCT: 

7:00 AM – ASSEMBLY AND PROGRAM AT BANTAYOG NG MGA BAYANI, QUEZON AVENUE CORNER EDSA, QUEZON CITY

9:00 AM – MOTORCADE ALONG QUEZON AVENUE, ELIPTICAL ROAD, COMMONWEALTH AVENUE TO LITEX THEN BACK TO ELIPTICAL ROAD. 

For further details, contact Don Pangan at Mobile no. 09953862722. ###

Friday, December 4, 2020

Workers protest factory closure in Laguna

 

Workers of a glass factory in Laguna protested in front of the company gates last Wednesday. Some 200 employees, about a dozen of whom are women, were terminated as Arcya Glass Corporation in Calamba, Laguna filed for permanent closure in November 16. However, the Arcya Glass Employees Union is accusing the company of union busting as the factory continues to operate with a reduced workforce.

 

“We believe that Arcya Glass is feigning closure as a way to bust the union and replace regular workers with contractual employees who will work for less wages and benefits. In fact last Wednesday, three trucks from Pedraja Trucking came out of the factory and we think they carried bottles for delivery to Arcya’s customers,” stated Joseph Legada, president of the Arcya Glass Employees Union.

 

“The mass layoffs in Laguna and Cebu are symptomatic of the pandemic of job loss that is happening without effective intervention by the government. This ties in with news reports that 4.5 million are unemployed this year and 2.2 million are also out of work but are not officially jobless only because they stopped looking for work. The restricted definition of unemployment limits it only to the jobless who are actively looking for work in the last six months,” asserted Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

 

He added that “Moreover, we are seeing that capitalists are exploiting the covid-19 crisis to bust unions and shift to contract work. This is shown by the experience of the Arcya Glass Employees Union and the First Glory labor union in the Mactan ecozone.”

 

Last Friday the garment firm First Glory Apparel in Cebu fired 300 workers, including the union president. The union has a pending petition for certification election. A rally of terminated First Glory workers last November 30 was broken up by police and led to the arrest of five union officers and labor organizers. The so-called MEPZ 5 were later released as their cases for “disobedience to person in authority” were dismissed.

 

Arcya Glass put workers on one-month forced leave in March 15 as the covid lockdown started. The company then filed for temporary closure until October 15. Finally the company declared permanent closure in November 16. The Arcya Glass Employees Union has a pending case for unpaid benefits at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board and a complaint for illegal closure and union busting at the National Labor Relations Commission.

 

Magtubo insisted that “We demand that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello convene a dialogue with labor groups on the continued hemorrhage of jobs inside and outside of the ecozones. We also ask Secretary Bello to remind police that existing DOLE-PEZA-PNP rules on labor disputes prohibit security personnel from harassing workers’ concerted actions.”

 

Photos of the Arcya workers protest can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10158678405269323.


December 4, 2020

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

As Cebu labor organizers released from jail, DOLE asked to act on mass layoffs

 

Labor groups welcomed the release from detention of three labor organizers who were arrested in a workers rally at the Cebu Mactan Ecozone last November 30. Cases of “disobedience against a person in authority” lodged against Dennis Derige, Joksan Branzuela and Jonel Labrador were dismissed yesterday afternoon. Their colleagues Myra Opada and Cristito Pangan, both union leaders at the Mactan Ecozone, were released earlier.

 

Partido Manggagawa (PM) and Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) also asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for pro-active measures to stem the series of mass layoffs in the ecozones.

 

“We condemn the double standard of police in implementing the quarantine rules. Police turn a blind eye to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque leading a mass gathering in Bantayan, Cebu last November 27 but without batting an eyelash arrest union leaders who were airing grievances on mass firings,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

 

Meanwhile Josua Mata, Sentro secretary-general stated that “I would like to laud the decision of the prosecutor in dismissing the cases against our organizers. It only shows that there are still people in our justice system who are courageous enough to uphold the constitutional rights of workers.”

 

Magtubo insisted that “Another double standard is DOLE’s inaction on employers engaging in mass layoffs for dubious reasons while police immediate suppress workers’ protests against indiscriminate firings. We demand that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello remind police that existing DOLE-PEZA-PNP rules on labor disputes prohibit security personnel from harassing workers’ concerted actions. We also ask him to convene a dialogue with labor groups on the continued hemorrhage of jobs inside and outside of the ecozones.”

 

Last November 30, the so-called MEPZ 5 led more than a hundred recently terminated ecozone workers in rally at the Mactan ecozone gate. But police dispersed the rally and arrested the MEPZ 5.

 

On November 27, First Glory Apparel fired 300 workers. This comes on the heels of mass layoffs at other 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 terminated 67 workers.


December 2, 2020

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Workers in export zones asking brands to facilitate reinstatement to work

 

Millions of workers in the Philippines were affected by one of the longest lockdowns imposed anywhere in the world. More than six months after the start of the lockdown in the middle of March this year, an untold number of workers remain either of forced leave or on floating status since they have not been allowed to return to work.

 

In many cases, workers in the export processing report that the companies are already operating but their positions have apparently been taken over by new hires or by contract or agency workers. This means that companies have taken advantage of the covid-19 pandemic to cheapen labor cost by exploiting new hires and non-regular workers.


The labor law in the Philippines only allows workers to be put in floating status for a maximum of six months. Beyond six months, workers must be reinstated or paid separation pay. A new administrative rule released by the Labor Department controversially extends the floating status to one year but with the proviso that workers must agree to the extension. This means, if workers do not agree to extend the six-month floating status then they can still file complaints at the Labor Department. Labor groups in Philippines are calling for the repeal of this new rule as it unfairly disadvantages workers and is contrary to law.


Among those seeking redress of this grievance over being put on floating status for more than six months are workers in two companies, one in the Freeport Area of Bataan (an export zone) and another in the industrial province of Cavite.

 

A group of workers in the quality control department of FPF Corporation, located in the Freeport Area of Bataan, are preparing to file a complaint for constructive dismissal since they have not been reinstated after the lapse of six months on floating status. They are also calling on brands for assistance in remediating their grievance. FPF Corporation produces luxury bags for global brands Brahmin, Fossil, Michael Kors and Kate Spade. As of the moment, Brahmin is the main customer of FPF but on occasion, the factory also makes bags for Coach if its sister factory FCF Corporation has excess orders.


Meanwhile some 50 workers of Rainbow 21 in Imus, Cavite have filed cases of illegal closure, illegal dismissal and labor standards violation (under payment of wages, overtime and holiday pay and non-remittance of social security contributions). The factory shutdown at the height of the lockdown but instead of reopening, workers learned that machines were taken out and relocated in an attempt at runaway shop. Rainbow 21 produced for US brands "Amy Byer," "By and By Girl" and "BCX Girl" before the factory unceremoniously closed down without giving the last salary and other benefits, including separation pay. Rainbow 21 was formerly named Dong Han Philippines Inc. and the Korean owner apparently has a penchant for closing down and changing names to avoid accountability to its workers.