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

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

Labor Day buildup: Women workers to light candles for wage hike, regular jobs

 

Women members of the partylist Partido Manggagawa (PM) and PUP students under the group SPEAK will hold a candlelight protest tonight as a buildup for the Labor Day commemoration tomorrow. Some 100 women workers and students will gather around 7:00 p.m. tonight at Mendiola to call for regular jobs and a living wage. The demands echo the main issues of the planned Labor Day mobilization of thousands of workers tomorrow.

“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,” explained Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

The highlight of the protest tonight is the lighting of candles by women workers. The group plans to hold a noisy but peaceful mass action at Mendiola to drumbeat the main calls of the Labor Day rally. Among the chants and placards to be delivered by the protesters are: End endo! End provincial wage! Stop TRAIN! Presyo ibaba! Sahod itaas! 105 days Expanded Maternity Leave, Ipatupad!

Tomorrow PM and allied organizations NFL, Agila, Umalab Ka, Pwersa and Kilos Maralita will assemble at the Petron gas station along the eastbound side of Blumentritt in Espana at 7 a.m. The group will march to Welcome Rotonda at 8 a.m. to link up with other groups for a short program. And then the Labor Day march led by the Nagkaisa labor coalition will start at 9 a.m. and end at Mendiola. Some 10,000 workers are expected to participate in the march to Mendiola.

PM will also hold Labor Day mobilizations at Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Iligan. The rally in Cebu will be a joint Nagkaisa-KMU rally at downtown Colon in the morning of May 1. The Bacolod mass action will be a march by sugar workers and factory laborers through the Fountain of Justice in the afternoon.

“On the eve of international May Day, 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.

She stated that “Women workers are still waiting for the release of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Expanded Maternity Leave law. While pregnant workers, both in the formal and informal sector, can avail of its benefits 15 days after expanded maternity benefit became law last February 20, its implementation is still dependent on the IRR.” 

April 30, 2019

Women workers candlelight protest tonight

Media Advisory

April 30, 2019

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Judy Ann Miranda @ 09228677522

Women workers candlelight protest tonight

What: Women workers to raise demands on endo, wages and TRAIN

When: Tonight (April 30), 7 p.m.

Where: Mendiola

Details: Some 100 informal working women and students of PUP to lead a mass action tonight as a build up to the Labor Day mobilization of workers. 

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Candle lighting protest 

The issues to be raised are:

End endo! End provincial wage!

Stop TRAIN! Presyo ibaba!

Sahod itaas!

Ipatupad 105 days Expanded Maternity Leave!

Tomorrow PM and its affiliated organizations will assemble at the Petron gas station, Blumentritt along the eastbound side of Espana at 7 a.m. The group will march to Welcome Rotonda at 8 a.m. to link up with other groups for a program. And then the Labor Day march led by the Nagkaisa labor coalition will start at 9 a.m. and end at Mendiola. PM will also hold Labor Day mobilizations at Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Iligan.

Workers ask DOLE to include labor reps in Boracay inspection

Photo from Philstar.com

The partylist group Partido Manggagawa welcomed the inspection by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of Boracay establishments even as it asked for the inclusion of labor representatives in the plan.

“We request the DOLE to include duly deputized representatives of labor groups in the planned inspection in Boracay to ensure compliance by Chinese-owned shops and stores of our labor laws and regulations. Under DO 183 released in 2017, reps of workers and employers can be deputized as labor inspectors to strengthen the labor law compliance system. Dozens of deputized inspectors from workers organizations have been trained since then and should now be deployed by the DOLE in Boracay,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that “Some 30,000 workers were displaced by President Rodrigo Duterte’s closure of Boracay last year and most of them have not found employment again in the island. So we are concerned about reports that the Chinese-owned establishments have been exclusively hiring Chinese nationals as cashiers, cooks, waitresses, laborers and drivers. This is a violation of our labor regulations as these are jobs that can be done by Filipinos.”

“However, we do not call for the expulsion or deportation of Chinese workers. The Chinese migrant workers should be treated justly just as we would like our overseas Filipino workers to be treated with dignity abroad. Once there is a formal determination that their jobs can be done by Filipinos and can be filled up, the Chinese workers can then be repatriated back to China at the expense of their Chinese employers who violated our laws. The Chinese workers must be paid by their Chinese employers for their wages for the duration of their contract even though it was not served because of the repatriation. This is our pro-migrant worker resolution of these problem of influx of Chinese workers in our country,” Magtubo explained.

He averred that “Finally, we ask the DOLE to priotize the re-employment of Filipino workers displaced by the Boracay shutdown last year. The government has a master list of these displaced workers. Now that Boracay is back in business, these workers should be re-employed as promised.”

April 21, 2019