EO vs endo pushed in nationwide rallies at DOLE offices

Workers are holding simultaneous rallies at DOLE offices in key cities as part of a campaign by labor groups who are calling for the signing of an executive order (EO) to abolish contractualization. Members of Partido Manggagawa (PM) and the labor coalition Nagkaisa are picketing this morning the DOLE offices in Intramuros, Calamba, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Bacolod and Davao City.

In a dialogue between labor groups and President Duterte this month, the latter promised to make a decision by March 15 on the former's lobby for an anti-endo EO.  Rene Magtubo, PM chair and spokesperson of Nagkaisa said that “President Duterte won on a campaign platform of abolishing contractualization. Two long years have passed and the promise remains unfulfilled. Duterte criticizes EDSA for its broken promises but his own vow to end endo remains unrealized.”

The rallies will also call on the Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to act on major labor disputes at firms Lakepower, Coke and Philippine Airlines. Last week the DOLE main office was rocked by rallies of workers of electronics firm Lakepower Converter and employees of Coke. Women workers of Lakepower in Cavite ecozone have been on strike for more than two months now. They are calling on the office of the Labor Secretary to intervene to resolve the protracted dispute. The workers are calling for a stop to the termination and suspension of union officers and members. The dispute has become a litmus test of freedom of association at ecozones.

Last year, the DOLE released a new department order on contractulization called DO 174. “DO 174 however is no different from previous orders which allow contractualization, and give wide latitude to capitalists to subcontract and replace regular employees with contractual workers. Thus we are asking President Duterte to issue an EO to implement his campaign promise of ending contractualization,” Magtubo explained.

The Philippine Airlines union PALEA is also asking the Secretary Bello to expedite the labor inspection report on the use of contract workers in the national flag carrier. Last year, the DOLE conducted a labor inspection of Philippine Airlines and its sister company PAL Express. PALEA, which observed the inpection process as the duly accredited union, insists that the assessment uncovered clear acts of illegal labor-only contracting in the outsourcing program of PAL and PAL Express.

“Massive subcontracting and outsourcing at PAL that has reduced its plantilla of regular workers and bloated its army of contractual workers is not different from PLDT which the DOLE already found as guilty of illegal contracting,” argued Magtubo. The DOLE has also released an order to regularize 8,000 workers and pay millions in money claims.

Photos can be accessed at:

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10156042273339323

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10156042320789323

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/10156042324344323

Iloilo truck drivers on strike

Iloilo City – After failing to settle through mediation the dispute between the Iloilo ARR Enterprises Labor Organization (IARRELO) and the management of ARR Trucking, the former decided to hold a union strike lamenting union busting and unfair labor practice.  This after what started to be a peaceful labor union formation by drivers of ARR Enterprises and their subsequent submission of a proposal for Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to the ARR management was met with harsh consequences.

            While the CBA negotiations were proceeding, ARR management dismissed the Union President, Mr. Elmer Blancaflor and the Union Secretary,Mr. Wilson Amatac, on a flimsy claim of redundancy by transferring their respective truck units to another province of operation of ARR.

            This prompted the filing of an Illegal Dismissal case, Unfair Labor Practice and Union busting against ARR management with the NLRC and a Notice of Strike at the NCMB.

            “Indi nagid ni ya ensakto ang ubra ka management. Nagpungko pa kami para maistoryahan ang amon CBA, tapos gulpi lang wala na kami ya unit kag hambalon nga redundant na kami sang akon Sekretaryo”, lamented Elmer Blancaflor, IARRELO President.

            Blancaflor was optimistic that their proposed CBA will be granted by the management since every negotiation between them and the ARR management, the atmosphere is cordial and all are amenable to the suggestion of each other.

            “Nakibot lang kami nga pitik sintas, wad-an kami ya ubra.  Nga kabalu gid sila nga union officers kami kag gapungko pa sa negotiating panel sang Unyon sa CBA negotiation,” said Union Secretary Wilson Amatac.

            With the seven (7) days cooling off period expiring without a clear settlement after NCMB personnel mediated between the parties, IARRELO is now set to put up the strike.

            “Ang katapusan namon nga alatrasan, strike na gid lang. Indi man tani namon ini luyag himuon apang kun amo ini ang pamaagi nga mapalab-ot namon sa mga natungdan ang amon problema, pasensya sa maapektuhan. Indi kami magpasugot, bilang mamumugon, nga basta lang lapakon ang amon kinamatarung kag pagkatawo”, declared Blancaflor.

           The Partido Manggagawa (PM), which has been assisting IARRELO, declared its full support to the decision of the Union to stage a strike.

            “Kun kinahanglan sang mamumugon nga manindugan kag maghulag para pamatukan ang mga kalakaran sa sulod sang ulubrahan nga nagapakanubo sang ila pagkatawo kag nagalapas sang ila kinamatarung bilang mamumugon, ang PM handa, sa ano man nga pamaagi, para suportahan ini”, concluded Mario Andon of Partido Manggagawa (PM).  

August 16, 2017

Groups call on government to heed demand for “just transition” after successful first day of jeepney strike

The first day of the two-day transport holiday was called a success by groups that launched the jeepney strike. They reiterated their demand on the government to stop the planned jeepney phase-out and instead implement a “just transition.”

Elmer Blancaflor, spokesperson for the Iloilo chapter of Partido Manggagawa (PM) and also president of the United Panay Truck Drivers Association, said that “Jeepney transport was paralyzed in the whole of Panay island. We estimate that 97% of jeepney drivers participated in the strike in Iloilo City, 95% in Roxas City, 95% in Aklan and 100% in Antique and Guimaras.”

PM together with the National Confederation of Transportworkers Union-Sentro are supporting the strike by the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers Associations (ICLAJODA) and Confederation of Iloilo Province Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations (CIPJODA).

“The unity of the jeepney drivers in Panay should be a wake up call on local governments and the Department of Transportation on the grave impact of their so-called modernization plan. The strike yesterday and today is just a preview of more militant protests if government remains deaf and blind to the demand for a just transition,” explained Blancaflor.

PM describes the just transition as consisting of four steps. First, a transition of five years before full implementation of the phase out. Second, assistance and subsidies to operators for the replacement of jeepneys. Third, a ban on the importation of old and surplus engines and second-hand vehicles. And last, conduct a study on the most appropriate alternative to jeepneys such as electric jeeps or hybrid, LPG or Euro4 engines.

“The livelihood of thousands of jeepney drivers should be benefited not endangered by the shift to environmentally-friendly public transportation. Social justice must accompany social progress,” Blancaflor emphasized.

PM criticized the draft Department of Transportation order mandating a minimum of PhP 7 million as capitalization for jeepney operators. “The capitalization requirement is discriminatory and anti-poor. It will lead to the gentrification of the jeepney sector and the dominance by big capitalists to the detriment of ordinary Filipinos who derive their livelihood as operators at present,” Blancaflor averred.

June 6, 2017

Labor group supports jeepney strike for “just transition”

The militant labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) expressed solidarity with the jeepney drivers who are on strike today and tomorrow in the islands of Panay and Negros in protest at the phase-out scheme of the government.

“Workers do not oppose modernization and the shift to environmentally-friendly public transportation but the transition must be just. Social justice must accompany social progress. The lives and livelihood of thousands of jeepney drivers cannot be sacrificed in the name of change,” declared Elmer Blancaflor, spokesperson for PM-Iloilo and also president of the United Panay Truck Drivers Association.

He added that “We understand and sympathize with the plight of our fellow workers. The temporary inconvenience of the transport holiday cannot compare with the permanent blow that the phase-out will inflict on jeepney drivers. We hope for the understanding of employees, students and commuters who are affected. The fight of jeepney drivers is our fight too.”

The group is supporting a just transition for the jeepney sector in the face of the government’s plan to immediately phase-out PUJ’s that are 15 years and older. PM, the labor center Sentro and its affiliate National Confederation of Transportworkers Union are supporting the strike being launched in Iloilo City and the whole of the Panay island by the groups Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers Associations (ICLAJODA) and Confederation of Iloilo Province Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations (CIPJODA).

The groups are calling on the government to meet the demand for just transition. Specifically they are demanding a four-point agenda:

1.      Transition of five years before full implementation of the phase out;

2.      Assistance and subsidies to operators for the replacement of jeepneys;

3.      Ban on the importation of old and surplus engines and second-hand vehicles;

4.      Study on the most appropriate alternative to jeepneys such as electric jeeps or hybrid, LPG or Euro4 engines.

Blancaflor also slammed the draft Department of Transportation order requiring PhP 7 million as capitalization for jeepney operators. “The capitalization requirement is discriminatory and anti-poor. It will lead to the gentrification of the jeepney sector and the dominance by big capitalists to the detriment of ordinary Filipinos presently derive their livelihood as operators,” he explained.

PM said that the two-day strike is a just a preview of larger protests and a nationwide strike later if the jeepney drivers’ demands are not met.

June 5, 2017

TRUCK WORKERS LAUNCH PROTEST STRIKE AGAINST HARBOUR-LINK MANAGEMENT

PRESS RELEASE

6 June 2011

UNITED PANAY & ILOILO TRUCK DRIVERS ASSOCIATION

 

The truck drivers of Harbour-Link Transport, Inc. launched protest action today in front of its office and motor pool located at Brgy. Banoyao along coastal road in La Paz , Iloilo City .

The 15 drivers were joined by their families in the protest expressing disgust over Harbour-Link management’s continued to refusal to provide them of incentives, such as; 13th month pay, service incentive leave pay, and holiday pay since 2004.

According to Elmer Blancaflor, spokesperson of the drivers, “we have not been receiving these incentive pay since 2004 and we call on the management to settle its obligations to us especially in these times of desperate need with the opening of the classes.”

“These incentives are law mandated and consistent in upholding the labor standards in the workplace. We are only asking from the management what is due for us,” stressed Blancaflor.

Moreover, the drivers are likewise demanding that the management reinstate them back to work after they were unjustly relieved of driving duties by gathering from them the truck keys the day after they lodged a complaint at the regional office of National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).  

The filing of complaint is a necessary legal step that we took in order for the management to realize that they cannot abandon their obligations to their workers and to formalize our demand on the proper venue. The management however seem displeased by our actions thus relieved us from our work,” explained by Blancaflor.    

The truck drivers of Harbour-Link Transport are members of the United Panay and Iloilo Truck Drivers Association (UPTDA), a group of Class “A” licensed and skilled drivers from different companies in the container van and forwarding industry formed by Partido ng Manggagawa (PM Panay-Guimaras).

Cito Cordero, president of UPTDA explained that “if the management and legal counsel of Harbour-Link are guided by the labor standards set forth by our labor laws then they are aware that they deliberately committed “constructive dismissal” after they relieved the drivers of driving duties following their filing of a complaint.”

“This is a clear violation against the driver-workers. A management who is aware of its responsibilities yet has engaged itself in violating it is also committing abuse to its workers,” said Cordero.

The management must realize that we, the workers, are the lifeblood of our industries and of our economy and nation. What they are doing anti-workers and unacceptable to the working class,” criticized Cordero.

For his part, Ronald Payda, coordinator of PM Panay-Guimaras shared that the management of Harbour-Link cannot just exercise its “management prerogative” anytime they see fit.’

Payda averred, that there are parameters provided on how management can address the problems of its workers putting limitations to management prerogatives. I urge their lawyer, Atty. Jose Junio Jacela to refresh his memory regarding fair labor practices by reviewing his labor law.”

“We call on all our fellow workers to unite and support the cause of Harbour-Link drivers. Our unity is the only weapon that we have in our hands as we push for our collective demand for proper compensations and benefits, concluded Payda.