Workers group call for release of Sumud activists, condemn Israeli interdiction of flotilla

 

Partido Manggagawa (PM) strongly condemns the illegal capture of hundreds of international activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla by Israeli naval forces. This is not just a violation of international law but proof of how the apartheid regime of Israel uses violence to defend its interests, crush solidarity, and enforce a genocidal blockade on Palestinians in Gaza.

The flotilla was a peaceful mission—carrying food and medicine as a symbolic humanitarian aid. Its interception in international waters shows how Israel acts as a fortress for global capital, keeping Palestinians oppressed and starved. The activists’ action directly challenges the siege and exposes the governments that continue to fund, trade with, or protect Israel while pretending to show “concern.”

The famine in Gaza is not an accident but an outcome of a deliberate human-made crisis and entangled with the genocide by Israel with complicity by the world’s imperialist powers. Governments enable this through arms sales, trade, and silence. The flotilla has inspired solidarity. It is proof that people can resist and refuse this system of oppression.

Workers and unions show the real alternative. Dockworkers in Genoa threatened to block all of Europe if contact with the flotilla was lost, saying not a single nail would be shipped to Israel. Italy’s general strike for Gaza shows that organized labor has the power to disrupt the capitalist war machine and stand with the oppressed.

The flotilla’s greatest value is political—it breaks through the media and political shield protecting Israel and shows that the fight for Palestine is a fight for humanity itself. The activists—workers, socialists, and people from over 44 countries—represent a growing international resistance.

With the backing of imperialist powers, Israel has once again shown its contempt for life and solidarity. Our task is to build people’s power and resistance—in workplaces, unions, and communities—to break not only the blockade on Gaza but the system that sustains it.

In line with anti-capitalist internationalism, PM demands:

§             The immediate release of all flotilla participants.

§             The lifting of the blockade on Gaza.

§             An end to all complicity by governments.

We call on workers and unions to block arms shipments and call on their governments to cut economic ties with Israel. Together we cooperate to build of a mass movement that links Palestinian liberation with the global struggle against capitalism, exploitation, and genocide.

Media Advisory: Workers to hold solidarity action tonight with Myanmar/Burma

In time for a global call of solidarity by the international labor movement, workers' organizations and social movements in the Philippines led by Partido Manggagawa, Nagkaisa and Kalipunan will hold a noise barrage tonight

Feb 11, 7pm - 8pm

Boy Scout Rotonda, Timog Ave

Contact Wilson Fortaleza @ 09452182693

Filipino workers rally in support of HK unions and protests

Press Release

October 3, 2014

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) and other groups in the labor unity coalition Nagkaisa! today held a rally at the consular office of China in Makati in response to a call for international solidarity from the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU). PM declared that “Filipino workers extend our solidarity to our brothers and sisters in the HKCTU, the students and the Hong Kong people in the struggle for democracy and equality.”

With the Hong Kong protests gearing for a possible confrontation with the government, Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and PM vice chair, stated that “We appeal to both the HK and Beijing government to stop the use of violence against its own people.  The people’s democratic government which was proclaimed in October 1, 1949, can only be more and never less democratic.  For this reason, arrest and detention as well as the use of teargas in dispersing a massive but peaceful assembly of mostly young people are patently undemocratic.”

The HKCTU had called last week for strikes by workers to complement the boycott by students and the protests in general. A PM statement asserted that "The Hong Kong working class must now join the democracy protests to break the impasse for the students cannot win the struggle on their own. But the HK workers must put the imprint of their class demands on the movement and march under their own banner of social justice and emancipation."

Rivera explained that “We are inspired seeing people – students, teachers, workers, and elderly in collective action against threats to democracy, as we are likewise indignant that this action is met by state violence.”

He added that “When PALEA launched its struggle against outsourcing and contractualization, workers all over the world, including Hong Kong, extended support. Such solidarity helped us sustain the fight until eventual victory. We shouted then that the struggle of PALEA is the struggle of all workers. Now it is time to say that the struggle of HKCTU is the struggle of all workers.”

Rivera also argued that “We are also aware that aside from the demand of democratic reforms, the people were raising the issue of gaping inequality between the business elite and the working class in Hong Kong.  We acknowledge this as a worldwide phenomenon under this capitalist world thus we easily identify with the justness of bringing this call.”

PM also expressed readiness to hold more solidarity actions for HK unions and the democracy protests when needed. Rivera averred that they will continue monitoring the development of the protests in Hong Kong and hope that the people’s demands are eventually met.

In solidarity with HKCTU and the Hong Kong People

(Reuters photo)

We, in the Partido Manggagawa (Labor Party Philippines) extend our solidarity to our brothers and sisters in the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), the students and the Hong Kong people in the struggle for democracy and greater equality. 

The world is witnessing yet another “occupy” and “spring” phenomenon, this time right here in   neighboring Hong Kong.  Yet while we are inspired seeing people – students, teachers, workers, and elderly in collective action against threats to democracy, we are likewise indignant that this action is met by official violence perpetrated by the State.

We condemn the use of violence against legitimate protests.  Democracy, we assert, is an indivisible body of rights that must be enjoyed by the sovereign people.  The right to chose and to freely express ourselves are but a few of the basic principles of democracy.  And even if these rights cannot be proclaimed as absolute vis-a-vis the need for certain degree of state regulation, suppressing these rights more often than not creates an absolutely dangerous predicate to destroying the very fundamental of democracy which is people’s sovereignty.  Repression must therefore be stopped at this very first level.

Hence, we appeal to both the HK and Beijing government to stop the use of violence against its own people.  The people’s democratic government which was proclaimed in October 1, 1949, can only be more and never less democratic.  For this reason, arrest and detention as well as the use of teargas in dispersing a massive but peaceful assembly of mostly young people is patently undemocratic.

We call on the Hong Kong working class to join the democracy protests to break the impasse for the students cannot win the struggle on their own. But the Hong Kong workers must put the imprint of their class demands on the movement and march under their own banner of social justice and emancipation

We are also made aware that aside from the demand of ensuring promised democracy, the people were raising the issue of gaping inequality between the business elite and the working class in Hong Kong.  We acknowledge this as a worldwide phenomenon under this capitalist world thus we easily identify with the justness of bringing this call.

Furthermore, Hong Kong is also host to tens of thousands of Filipinos and other Asian workers.  Thus it is safe to assume that for many years they already have shared the values of the Hong Kong people in upholding democracy.  We likewise appeal to the Chinese government to treat migrant fairly in the face of this political uncertainty.

In solidarity,

The Executive Committee

Partido Manggagawa – Labor Party Philippines

30 September 2014

Solidarity to Occupy Oakland General Strike

To the Occupy Oakland protesters:

We express our solidarity with the Oakland general strike on November 2 especially the blockade of the Port of Oakland. The general strike and port blockade will reveal the truth that the 99% creates the wealth that the 1% now monopolizes. Such forms of mass actions will also show the way forward for the occupy protest movement now surging in the US and other countries.

We likewise salute the Occupy Oakland protesters who bravely faced violent eviction last October 25 even as we condemn the police for their brutal attack.

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA), the union of the ground staff of Philippine Airlines, and Partido ng Manggagawa (Labor Party-Philippines), the independent party of the working class in the Philippines, stand shoulder to shoulder with the Occupy Oakland protesters. We too struggle against corporate greed and capitalist globalization with its destructive impact on the workers and the youth. Truly the movement against corporate greed and capitalist globalization is international in scope.

More than a thousand PALEA members are presently occupying areas outside the international airports of Manila and Cebu, the two biggest cities in the Philippines, for a month now since the company locked out and terminated some 2,400 employees. The layoffs are part of an outsourcing scheme that aimed to downgrade us into contract workers which we have been fighting against for the last two years.

Two weeks ago a court sheriff accompanied by hired goons of the company attempted to disperse the picketline in Manila. The resistance of PALEA members forced them to retreat. And then last Saturday, scores of hired goons launched a daybreak attack on PALEA’s occupation camp while many, including women and children, were still asleep. Half of the campout was destroyed and several protesters were hurt but the dispersal attempt masterminding by the company was repelled. In less than a day the occupation camp was wholly rebuilt.

We have vowed to defend our occupation. PALEA’s struggle is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Oakland protests and our fight is part of the global movement against corporate greed and capitalist globalization.

On November 2, PALEA and its supporters started a three-day “long march” around several cities to bring the campaign against corporate greed and capitalist globalization to the working class communities and areas. The Oakland general strike and port blockade will be an inspiration to our “long march” protest.