Advisory: Workers rally today: “Jail Kentex, CJC owners!”

MEDIA ADVISORY

May 18, 2015

Contact: Wilson Fortaleza @ 09053732185, 09225261138

WHAT: Rally by PM members to call for criminal prosecution of owners of Kentex and its subcontractor CJC

WHEN: Today, May 18, 2015; 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: DOLE Intramuros

DETAILS: Some 50 members of PM will hold a rally this morning at DOLE main office in Intramuros as Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz calls the representatives of Kentex and its subcontractor CJC Services in a mandatory conference. PM is calling for the criminal prosecution of the owners of Kentex and CJC even as the DOLE probes the culpable violations by the two companies.

PM vows to continue pressing for justice for Kentex workers killed and injured in the factory fire last week. Earlier, PM together with the Nagkaisa labor coalition held a candle lighting protest at the Kentex factory. More actions are slated for the coming days.

“Workers who are caught jaywalking can be jailed. The owners of Kentex and CJC deserve no less a penalty for the massacre of some 70 workers and injuries to dozens more. The owners of Kentex and CJC are not just immoral but criminal. Justice for Kentex workers cannot be served by giving P13,000 in assistance to the families,” declared Wilson Fortaleza, PM spokesperson.

He added that “Unfortunately it took the death of dozens of workers to make it as clear as daylight: Contractualization kills! Labor rights violations kill too!”

In wake of Hanjin worker death: Union officers urged to be deputized as labor inspectors

Press Release

May 10, 2014

In response to a report that a Hanjin contractor has been punished for the death of another worker at the shipyard last May 2, the labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to deputize union presidents and officers as labor inspectors in order to strengthen the enforcement of labor standards and safety rules. The DOLE in Central Luzon has issued a cease and desist order to Finback Corp. due to the accidental death of its employee, Ryan Gacus.

Renato Magtubo, PM national chair, reiterated the call that justice must be served the 37 workers who have died at the Hanjin shipyard. “Stopping the operation of Finback is just a first step. We will monitor what steps DOLE will do next to serve justice to Gacus. Aside from the responsibility of the principal employer Hanjin and its subcontractors to the laborers who have been killed at the shipyard-cum-graveyard, the government must make policy changes regarding enforcement of labor standards and occupational health and safety so that workers have not died in vain,” he stated.

Magtubo said that “The DOLE just has some 200 inspectors to cover around 800,000 establishments nationwide, thus in 2013 just around 40,000 enterprises were subjected to inspections, self-assessments and visits. The numbers can easily be increased several fold by deputizing union officers as labor inspectors. Even if just 10% of the 17,000 local union presidents are accredited, this is about 10 times the present number of inspectors.”

PM insists that by deputizing labor leaders, the number of inspections can be multiplied overnight, enforcement can be strengthened immediately, and workers lives and limbs can be saved as a result.

The group explained that DOLE already allows local government units to undertake technical safety inspections in order to complement its efforts and so there is no reason not to mobilize workers groups in labor enforcement. “All the DOLE has to do is train union president and officers in the labor inspection and enforcement process and then accredit them appropriately,” Magtubo added.

In the DOLE’s Labor Standards Enforcement Framework, unions with collective bargaining agreements are given a role in self-assessment for their enterprises. “If unions play a responsibility in ensuring labor standards and occupational safety in their own workplaces, it does not take a leap of logic to allow them a task in inspecting other enterprises,” Magtubo argued.

Reopening of FASAP case is a travesty of justice

Press Release

March 22, 2012

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) called the decision of the Supreme Court to affirm the reopening of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association (FASAP) case as a “travesty of justice.” “Only in the Philippines can a case that had already been ruled with finality twice by the highest court of the land still be reviewed once more on its merits. Indeed justice delayed is justice denied for 1,400 our sister and brother flight attendants,” asserted Gerry Rivera, PALEA president.

He added that “FASAP’s case is relevant is PALEA’s fight since if the retrenchment of cabin crew in 1998 at a time when Philippine Airlines was bankrupt is illegal then so much more is the layoff of 2,400 ground staff after the flag carrier posted PhP 3 billion in profit for its previous fiscal year.”

Meanwhile Renato Magtubo, chairperson of the Partido ng Manggagawa, declared that “The timing of the release of the Supreme Court resolution clearing Chief Justice Renato Corona is perfectly timed for the defense presentation in the impeachment case. It leaves everyone thinking that it is part of the impeachment defense of Corona.”

Magtubo said that the plight of FASAP and PALEA reveals the failure of the labor justice system in the country. “It is not just with the Supreme Court but even more with the graft ridden National Labor Relations Commission, National Mediation and Conciliation Board and Department of Labor and Employment that workers lose to the power of money of abusive capitalists,” he added.

“Workers demand reforms beyond the prosecution of Gloria and the impeachment of Corona. For workers at least get a taste of fair share of justice, the NLRC, NCMB and DOLE must be cleansed, and the policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization that have led to thousands of closures and layoffs, and collapse of industry and agriculture must be rolled back,” Magtubo explained.

PM announced that the May Day campaign will start early with a “Kalbaryo ng Manggagawa at Maralita” on the first week of April that will highlight the issues of low wages, high prices, mass unemployment, contractual jobs and urban poor demolitions.

Women workers run for gender and labor justice on 101st Women’s Day

PRESS RELEASE

Partido ng Manggagawa

PALEA Women’s Committee

8 March 2012

To cap the weeklong commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) by the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) women members held a women run for gender justice and labor justice, 6:00am at Ayala, Makati City, wreath-laying at Gabriela Silang monument at Ayala corner Makati Avenue, then proceeded to Allied Bank along Ayala Avenue.

“The Women Run for Gender Justice and Labor Justice is a celebration of the inseparability of the fight for women’s rights and workers rights.  IWD in fact started in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York. While much has been achieved by women in general, for women workers the sweatshop conditions of the 1900’s is still the norm in factories, shops, offices and farms as capitalist globalization rolls back the gains of the labor movement even as gender equality and reproductive health remains crucial concerns,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda of PM.

 Ms. Miranda added that, “On this occasion, other concerns that we also want to give emphasis to are women’s right to equal work opportunity, a concrete solution to high prices of basic commodities,  additional budget for social services, and passage of the RH bill.”

PM and PALEA further explained that women’s labor force participation rate in our country has remained, more or less, at 50% and the reason for this is the tremendous lack of job opportunities for women.  This reality is taking a big toll on the bodies and minds of women who have been more burdened by poverty, high prices, and lack of crucial services such as health, housing, among others.

“To DOLE Secretary Baldoz and PNoy, we refuse to listen to more of your promises, lies and deception.  Araw namin  ito, so this time, you listen to our demands and act on them as sincere public officials should do,” declared Arlene Ladimo of PALEA.  To symbolize women workers’ refusal to listen to mere promises but rather be heard, they did an Aguirre (prosecution lawyer Vitaliano Aguirre, Jr.) by covering their ears for a few minutes. 

“We have been lied to when we sought the President’s help vs. Lucio Tan’s outsourcing and contractualization scheme of PAL employees and PNoy said this is within the bounds of law.  Thousands were duped to take up nursing with promises of jobs abroad – the other day, Secretary Baldoz are calling on them to work at call centers, etc., etc.  We want jobs, not just any job but regular and decent jobs, we want lower prices of basic goods, and more budget for social services.  ‘Yan ang ibigay ninyo dahil ‘yan ang kailangan namin,” continued Ms. Ladimo.

After the Women Run at Ayala, Makati, the PALEA and PM women members held a motorcade to Mendiola and joined the World March of Women in a traditional rally. Yesterday they held a “Kalbaryo ng Kababaihan” to highlight the 101 burdens of women as a way of focusing attention on the pressing concerns on the 101st anniversary of IWD.

PALEA rally at DOLE today for women's rights

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact Alnem Pretencio (PALEA VP) @ 09209543634

        Judy Ann Miranda (PM Sec-Gen) @ 09228677522

Women’s Week Commemoration

PALEA women rally at DOLE today

WHAT: PALEA women members to hold rally at start of Women’s Week commemoration

WHEN:  Today, March 5, 10:00 am

WHERE: Department of Labor and Employment, Intramuros

DETAILS: Women members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) will hold a rally at the DOLE to assail the agency’s connivance in the suppression of women workers rights. The protesters will bring female paper dolls with the necks in a noose to highlight the plight of women workers under the present government.

            Among the rallyists will be breadwinners, single mothers and widows who are all facing extreme difficulties as PALEA enters its sixth month of a lockout by the Lucio Tan-owned flag carrier. After the rally, several of the PALEA members will attend a hearing at the DOLE regarding their illegal suspension by Philippine Airlines for supporting the union picketline.

Wednesday (March 7): PALEA women join march for economic and labor justice, UST to Mendiola

Thursday: (March 8): PALEA and PM commemorates International Women’s Day

PM pays respects to slain forest guard

Press Release

May 13, 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) expressed its condolences to the family of slain Mt. Makiling forest guard Elpidio “Jojo” Malinao and paid its respects to a “fallen comrade.” Renato Magtubo, PM national chair, stated that “Jojo Malinao was not only an advocate for environmental protection, he was also an activist for workers rights. In Jojo’s case, in the line of fire is the place of honor. The University of the Philippines has loss a loyal employee and the working class movement, an able leader.”

Magtubo revealed that Malinao was the vice president of the UPLB chapter of the Organization of Non-Academic Personnel of UP (ONAPUP) and also a national council member of the union aside from being a leader of PM in Laguna.

He called on the authorities to investigate the motive behind Malinao’s killing and find the mastermind. “We demand justice for Jojo. The government must exhaust all means to find the perpetrators of thee crime. Jojo is not the first but hopefully the last trade union leader to be killed in Calabarzon,” Magtubo declared.

The group said that Malinao is the third PM leader killed in Calabarzon since its founding in 2001. Andrew “Bok Inoza, union president of Alaska Milk in San Pedro Laguna and chairperson of PM-Laguna, was shot to death in November 2006. Earlier Emmanuel Cosme Ibe, union president of Liwayway Manufacturing Corp. in Imus Cavite and a founding member of PM-Cavite was also shot to death in April 2001 at the height of the party-list election campaign.

Ibe’s killing came just three months after the assassination of Felimon “Popoy” Lagman, whose brainchild was the formation of PM. According to international human rights groups, the Philippines is second only to Colombia in the number of trade union leaders killed.

10 years of failed labor justice under the Arroyo regime

PRESS RELEASE
5 February 2010

Labor justice is a failed agenda under the 10-year rule of the Arroyo administration, a militant labor partylist group, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), said in a statement sent to media as the party commemorates the 10th year death anniversary of its founder, the late Filemon “Ka Popoy” Lagman, tomorrow.

Lagman was gunned down at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman on February 6, 2001, barely two months after Mrs. Arroyo assumed power through a popular uprising and thus considered the first case of extra-judicial killing under the Arroyo government that remains unsolved.

PM chair Renato Magtubo even recalled that Mrs. Arroyo in her 2001 Labor Day speech vowed to solve the Lagman case in her first 100 days in office and instructed all concerned law enforcement agencies to coordinate and go after the killers.

“Now it’s not just 100 days but an agonizing 10 years of failed justice for Ka Popoy and for many other victims who suffered the same fate under this corrupt and repressive regime,” said Magtubo.

The Partido ng Manggagawa was Lagman’s last project before his death. PM is a sectoral group running for the partylist elections.

He was also behind the formation of other militant groups such as the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) and the multisectoral group Sanlakas. It was also Lagman who then pursued the “Resigh All” line calling not only for the resignation of President Estrada but also of Mrs. Arroyo, believing that a mere change in the face of the next rulers will never solve the country’s chronic problems.

“In few more months, GMA will leave the presidency with the Lagman murder still unsolved and the conditions of the working class in the country gone from bad to worse. Our challenge to the next administration is to make labor justice an urgent agenda and policies aligned towards this platform,” declared

Labor justice, according to PM, is not only about justice for the unsolved killings under the Arroyo regime but most importantly, is a change in policies that for the longest time have undermined the rights and welfare of the working class.

The current minimum wage of Filipino workers is way below the needed family wage as mandated by the Constitution. Filipinos have also the least social security protections compared with their counterparts abroad. As a result, some 3,000 workers leave the country everyday to find their fortunes in almost every corner of the world.

The labor party in particular is opposing the policies of contractualization which keeps the level of wages low, threatens job security and a bane to exercising the workers’ rights to self-organization.