Press Release
January 30, 2011
The labor party Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today warned of unrest in the country similar to the uprisings in the Arab countries due to the rising prices of food and oil combined with worsening unemployment and poverty. “PNoy must act boldly to address the food crisis, escalating inflation and deepening hardship of Filipinos. Nobody was able to predict the explosion in the Arab region and nobody can discount unrest in the Philippines due to similar conditions of widespread desperation especially among the youth,” claimed Gerry Rivera, PM vice chair.
“The prices of rice, sugar, oil, gas and fare among others are rising thus squeezing the stagnant wages and incomes of workers and the poor. If the government will not institute price control then it must subsidize the costs of basic goods and services together with increasing wages and providing jobs,” insisted Rivera.
PM also expressed its solidarity with the unraveling uprisings in the Arab. “Filipino workers welcome the Arab world’s own version of people power. Filipino migrant workers in Egypt and other Arab countries should not fear but be inspired by these expressions of people power. If anything they must learn the lessons of these rousing risings so that the fierce winds of change blowing in the Arab world can reach the shores of the Philippines,” Rivera stated.
PM warned that while the popular uprisings in the Arab countries are directed at the corrupt dictatorships, the underlying causes are the pervasive dissatisfaction at the lack of jobs and opportunities primarily among the youth but also among workers and even the middle class. “Globalization has ravaged the Arab region as much as the Philippines. Unemployment, contractualization, retrenchment, rising prices and stagnant wages are also the norm in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan and Yemen. Everywhere the mass of the people have become poorer while only the elite have become richer under globalization,” Rivera explained.
He added “Today the unrest is expressed in the resistance of PAL workers against layoff and outsourcing. Tomorrow who knows if the struggle becomes generalized with high prices and food crisis making the lack of jobs and stagnant incomes unbearable?”
Rivera is also president of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) which is embroiled in a protracted fight with management over the planned termination of some 2,600 employees. “Like the PALEA dispute, PNoy should assume jurisdiction of the problem of prices, wages and jobs. And then his government must provide tactical solutions such as price control, government subsidies, public employment and regulation of contractualization together with strategic shifts in industrial, agricultural, economic and social policies,” Rivera insisted.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Labor group asks union officers to be deputized as labor inspectors
Press Release
January 29, 2011
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 recommendation came in response to preliminary reports that Eton and its contractors at the construction site in Greenbelt, Makati were guilty of numerous violations from underpayment of wages to non-remittance of SSS deductions aside from unsafe working conditions.
Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general, said that “From 240 labor inspectors, the DOLE now just has some 190 to cover around 800,000 establishments nationwide. This number 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 is also critical of the DOLE’s “Labor Standards Enforcement Framework” which allows establishments with more than 200 workers to undergo voluntary self-assessment. PM reveals that under the self-assessment program, the number of establishments inspected plummeted from 26,000 when it started in 2004 to just 6,000 last year.
Miranda likened the situation to “The shepherd asked the wolf to tend the sheep and as a result the sheep are eaten alive.”
She reiterated the call that justice must be served the ten construction workers who died at the Eton site. “Aside from the responsibility of the principal employer Eton and its subcontractors to the laborers who were killed, the government must make policy changes regarding enforcement of labor standards and occupational health and safety so that the workers have not died in vain,” she stated.
The group explained that DOLE already allows local government units to undertake technical 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,” Miranda added.
January 29, 2011
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 recommendation came in response to preliminary reports that Eton and its contractors at the construction site in Greenbelt, Makati were guilty of numerous violations from underpayment of wages to non-remittance of SSS deductions aside from unsafe working conditions.
Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general, said that “From 240 labor inspectors, the DOLE now just has some 190 to cover around 800,000 establishments nationwide. This number 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 is also critical of the DOLE’s “Labor Standards Enforcement Framework” which allows establishments with more than 200 workers to undergo voluntary self-assessment. PM reveals that under the self-assessment program, the number of establishments inspected plummeted from 26,000 when it started in 2004 to just 6,000 last year.
Miranda likened the situation to “The shepherd asked the wolf to tend the sheep and as a result the sheep are eaten alive.”
She reiterated the call that justice must be served the ten construction workers who died at the Eton site. “Aside from the responsibility of the principal employer Eton and its subcontractors to the laborers who were killed, the government must make policy changes regarding enforcement of labor standards and occupational health and safety so that the workers have not died in vain,” she stated.
The group explained that DOLE already allows local government units to undertake technical 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,” Miranda added.
Friday, January 28, 2011
In wake of Eton construction accident: Labor group calls for labor enforcement reforms
Press Release
January 28, 2011
The militant labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called for stronger labor enforcement and labor inspection reforms in response to the accident at the Eton construction yesterday that claimed the lives of 10 workers and injured one. “This is a workplace massacre that is worse than the Makati terrorist bus bombing. Heads must roll and justice must be served for the needless deaths of 10 workers,” insisted Renato Magtubo, PM chair.
PM lambasted employers for cutting corners in occupational safety in order to raise profits and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the lax implementation of labor and safety standards. “While capitalists were scrimping on protection for workers and DOLE was sleeping on its job of enforcement, workers are dying in the workplace,” Magtubo elaborated.
He claimed that “Accidents are not acts of divine providence that can be dismissed as unavoidable. Instead accidents are the result of unsafe acts and therefore preventable by strict enforcement of occupational safety and health and labor standards.”
“Under the regime of the DOLE’s self-assessment program, the number of labor inspectors have shrunk from around 240 to less than 200 and the number of establishments inspected plummeted from 60,000 in 2003 to just 6,000 last year. Self-assessment means that the government is asking the wolf to guard the sheep. No wonder the sheep get slaughtered,” Magtubo criticized.
He recommended that “We propose that the DOLE deputize labor leaders as labor inspectors. In so doing the number of inspectors and inspections can be increase several fold overnight, enforcement can be strengthened immediately, and workers lives and limbs can be saved.”
Magtubo added that “DOLE must review Eton and its contractors for compliance not just with safety regulations but labor standards such as payment of minimum wages and benefits, observance of working hours and remittance of social security among others. Construction workers are among the most overworked yet underpaid of employees since they are generally unorganized.”
“The DOLE has again been caught sleeping on the job as in the case of the nurses charged by exorbitant on-the-job fees. This abusive practice could have been deterred if the DOLE had inspected hospitals and fined them appropriately,” Magtubo said.
January 28, 2011
The militant labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called for stronger labor enforcement and labor inspection reforms in response to the accident at the Eton construction yesterday that claimed the lives of 10 workers and injured one. “This is a workplace massacre that is worse than the Makati terrorist bus bombing. Heads must roll and justice must be served for the needless deaths of 10 workers,” insisted Renato Magtubo, PM chair.
PM lambasted employers for cutting corners in occupational safety in order to raise profits and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the lax implementation of labor and safety standards. “While capitalists were scrimping on protection for workers and DOLE was sleeping on its job of enforcement, workers are dying in the workplace,” Magtubo elaborated.
He claimed that “Accidents are not acts of divine providence that can be dismissed as unavoidable. Instead accidents are the result of unsafe acts and therefore preventable by strict enforcement of occupational safety and health and labor standards.”
“Under the regime of the DOLE’s self-assessment program, the number of labor inspectors have shrunk from around 240 to less than 200 and the number of establishments inspected plummeted from 60,000 in 2003 to just 6,000 last year. Self-assessment means that the government is asking the wolf to guard the sheep. No wonder the sheep get slaughtered,” Magtubo criticized.
He recommended that “We propose that the DOLE deputize labor leaders as labor inspectors. In so doing the number of inspectors and inspections can be increase several fold overnight, enforcement can be strengthened immediately, and workers lives and limbs can be saved.”
Magtubo added that “DOLE must review Eton and its contractors for compliance not just with safety regulations but labor standards such as payment of minimum wages and benefits, observance of working hours and remittance of social security among others. Construction workers are among the most overworked yet underpaid of employees since they are generally unorganized.”
“The DOLE has again been caught sleeping on the job as in the case of the nurses charged by exorbitant on-the-job fees. This abusive practice could have been deterred if the DOLE had inspected hospitals and fined them appropriately,” Magtubo said.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
PALEA calls PAL’s regrets letter to Magsaysay regrettable
Press Release
January 19, 2011
PALEA
The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) criticized the management of Philippine Airlines for sending a regrets letter to Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay. “PAL's regrets letter is regrettable for it conveys the wrong message that it is company policy to ignore the abusive behavior and sexist remarks of Magsaysay,” asserted Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair.
PALEA is demanding from PAL the drafting of a manual of operations for handling customer relations that safeguards the rights of its workers together with specifying the responsibilities of employees to customers. “The saying ‘the customer is not always right’ is wrong. When customers purchase goods or services, they did not buy the dignity of employees serving them. There must be protection for frontline service employees of PAL. The global union International Transport Workers Federation recommends such a manual of operations,” explained Rivera.
“If the regrets letter were a pro forma response from PAL from an unsatisfied customer then it is understandable. But that is not the case here. The regrets letter turns a blind eye to the facts of the case. First, the incident report filed by Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo’s supervisor corroborating her allegations against Magsaysay. And second, Magsaysay’s own admission of guilt and offer of apology,” Rivera argued.
He added that “The regrets letter reveals that PAL is concerned only with its profits and not the welfare of its employees. Workers are treated as disposable rags that are without dignity and can be outsourced. If Ocampo was not a union member protected by a collective bargaining agreement and instead were a contractual employee in a service provider, she would have been laid off by now as Magsaysay had threatened her.”
Meanwhile the labor group PM is appealing to the House and Senate Labor Committees to conduct hearings in aid of legislation to protect service workers from abuse and indignities at the workplace. Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general declared that “Sarah’s fight for justice is a struggle for workers dignity. In the so-called new economy dominated by service workers such as call center agents, there must be policies to safeguard employees from ill-treatment and humiliation by customers.”
PALEA also warned PAL against any form of workplace discrimination on Ocampo arising from her pursuit of the case. “It is bad enough that PAL fails to protect its employees from abuse but it is worse if management were to harass Ocampo due to what it perceives a bad press on the company,” Rivera cautioned.
January 19, 2011
PALEA
The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) criticized the management of Philippine Airlines for sending a regrets letter to Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay. “PAL's regrets letter is regrettable for it conveys the wrong message that it is company policy to ignore the abusive behavior and sexist remarks of Magsaysay,” asserted Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair.
PALEA is demanding from PAL the drafting of a manual of operations for handling customer relations that safeguards the rights of its workers together with specifying the responsibilities of employees to customers. “The saying ‘the customer is not always right’ is wrong. When customers purchase goods or services, they did not buy the dignity of employees serving them. There must be protection for frontline service employees of PAL. The global union International Transport Workers Federation recommends such a manual of operations,” explained Rivera.
“If the regrets letter were a pro forma response from PAL from an unsatisfied customer then it is understandable. But that is not the case here. The regrets letter turns a blind eye to the facts of the case. First, the incident report filed by Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo’s supervisor corroborating her allegations against Magsaysay. And second, Magsaysay’s own admission of guilt and offer of apology,” Rivera argued.
He added that “The regrets letter reveals that PAL is concerned only with its profits and not the welfare of its employees. Workers are treated as disposable rags that are without dignity and can be outsourced. If Ocampo was not a union member protected by a collective bargaining agreement and instead were a contractual employee in a service provider, she would have been laid off by now as Magsaysay had threatened her.”
Meanwhile the labor group PM is appealing to the House and Senate Labor Committees to conduct hearings in aid of legislation to protect service workers from abuse and indignities at the workplace. Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general declared that “Sarah’s fight for justice is a struggle for workers dignity. In the so-called new economy dominated by service workers such as call center agents, there must be policies to safeguard employees from ill-treatment and humiliation by customers.”
PALEA also warned PAL against any form of workplace discrimination on Ocampo arising from her pursuit of the case. “It is bad enough that PAL fails to protect its employees from abuse but it is worse if management were to harass Ocampo due to what it perceives a bad press on the company,” Rivera cautioned.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Labor party calls for reform of employment program for nurses
January 18, 2011
The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) welcomed but called for the reform of the employment program for nurses as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday started receiving applications for RN HEALS. The group also demanded that DOLE inspect hospitals for violations of labor standards including the charging of so-called on-the-job-training fees on registered nurses.
Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson, said that “Public employment programs are always a step in the right direction. Creating jobs for unemployed nurses and providing health care to rural areas is great. But RN HEALS leaves much to be desired because it fosters cheap white collar labor among less than 10% of the estimated number of unemployed registered nurses.”
PM is supporting the campaign of nursing groups for a stop to the practice of charging fees to trainee nurses. Magtubo added that “The exploitation of hundreds of thousands of young registered nurses must stop. Part of the DOLE’s mandate is the enforcement of labor laws and it must do its job in this respect. Instead of hospital owners challenging young nurses to file complaints, we demand that the DOLE make inspections of the health care facilities.”
He insists that paying nurses to be deployed in rural areas P8,000 in allowance is well below the Salary Grade 15 stipulated by law for entry-level public sector nurses. “Hazard pay, night differential and other allowances are also mandated for public sector nurses but DOLE is silent whether RN HEALS provides for such mandatory benefits,” Magtubo asserted.
“In Tunisia, a popular uprising was sparked by the desperate suicide of a 26-year old unemployed university graduate. That same hopelessness haunts the lives of more than a hundred thousand registered nurses who are unemployed and some 20,000 to 40,000 more that will be added when the next batch of nurses graduates in April. The problem of nurses who are unemployed, underemployed & abused is reaching crisis proportions and resulting in abuses like OJT fees. Meanwhile nurses who are employed are overworked but utterly underpaid,” Magtubo explained.
PM is pushing for nurses to be treated as probationary employees who are guaranteed minimum wages and other benefits plus the opportunity to become regular after the maximum of six months temporary status. “It is a triple whammy on young nurses to pay tuition fees while studying, then be denied a wage while working as a trainee and further be charged an exorbitant fee,” Magtubo declared.
“Young workers are in dire straits. Hotel and restaurant management students are being employed as trainees in the industry for no wages or below minimum labor standards. Dual tech student-workers are replacing regular workers in factories as another form of contractualization,” he clarified.
Monday, January 17, 2011
PAL employee files case at Ombudsman and House Ethics Committee
Press Release
PALEA
January 17, 2011
Philippine Airlines employee Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) today filed complaints at the Ombudsman and the House Ethics Committee against Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay of the party-list Alliance of Volunteer Educators.
They trooped to the Office of the Ombudsman by 10:00 a.m. and then to the Batasang Pambansa by 1:00 p.m. The cases allege that Magsaysay is guilty of grave slander, serious misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a high ranking public official and direct solicitation of personal favor or gain using his office. Atty. Bernadette Carrasco, legal counsel for Ocampo, said that the Ombudsman case is a criminal complaint while the Ethics Committee case is an administrative one.
“We wish that Sarah’s fight for justice will blaze a trail in the struggle for workers’ dignity. Service workers in the airline industry and call centers among others suffer indignities in the workplace through no fault of their own but receive no protection from their employers or the government. There are many more Sarahs who need support and protection against abusive officials and insensitive customers,” insisted Ginalyn Licayan, head of the PALEA Women’s Committee.
Meanwhile the labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) declared its support for Ocampo’s fight for justice and a contingent from PM joined PALEA members in the activities today.
“Sarah’s fight is the fight of all working women. We call on women workers and women advocates to stand up in support of Sarah against sexism and for dignity,” said Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general. PM and women’s groups participated in a forum this afternoon. In the forum “Stand Up Against Sexism and Abuse of Working Women and Men” held at a restaurant in Quezon City, PM, PALEA and other groups discussed a coordinated campaign for “Justice for Sarah Ocampo, Justice for Women Workers.”
Miranda also questioned Magsaysay’s credentials as a supposed party-list representative. “Magsaysay’s abusive behavior towards a woman employee exposes his pretensions as a representative of the marginalized. What underrepresented sector exactly does Magsaysay’s Alliance of Voluntary Educators speak for? It appears that Magsaysay as an advocate of the marginalized is as fictional as Mikey Arroyo being a representative of tricycle drivers,” she added.
“We call on incoming Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Sixto Brillantes to reform the accreditation process for party-list groups. The last Comelec was universally condemned for accrediting and proclaiming bogus and fake party-list groups in contravention of landmark Supreme Court guidelines,” Miranda asserted.
PALEA
January 17, 2011
Philippine Airlines employee Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) today filed complaints at the Ombudsman and the House Ethics Committee against Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay of the party-list Alliance of Volunteer Educators.
They trooped to the Office of the Ombudsman by 10:00 a.m. and then to the Batasang Pambansa by 1:00 p.m. The cases allege that Magsaysay is guilty of grave slander, serious misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a high ranking public official and direct solicitation of personal favor or gain using his office. Atty. Bernadette Carrasco, legal counsel for Ocampo, said that the Ombudsman case is a criminal complaint while the Ethics Committee case is an administrative one.
“We wish that Sarah’s fight for justice will blaze a trail in the struggle for workers’ dignity. Service workers in the airline industry and call centers among others suffer indignities in the workplace through no fault of their own but receive no protection from their employers or the government. There are many more Sarahs who need support and protection against abusive officials and insensitive customers,” insisted Ginalyn Licayan, head of the PALEA Women’s Committee.
Meanwhile the labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) declared its support for Ocampo’s fight for justice and a contingent from PM joined PALEA members in the activities today.
“Sarah’s fight is the fight of all working women. We call on women workers and women advocates to stand up in support of Sarah against sexism and for dignity,” said Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general. PM and women’s groups participated in a forum this afternoon. In the forum “Stand Up Against Sexism and Abuse of Working Women and Men” held at a restaurant in Quezon City, PM, PALEA and other groups discussed a coordinated campaign for “Justice for Sarah Ocampo, Justice for Women Workers.”
Miranda also questioned Magsaysay’s credentials as a supposed party-list representative. “Magsaysay’s abusive behavior towards a woman employee exposes his pretensions as a representative of the marginalized. What underrepresented sector exactly does Magsaysay’s Alliance of Voluntary Educators speak for? It appears that Magsaysay as an advocate of the marginalized is as fictional as Mikey Arroyo being a representative of tricycle drivers,” she added.
“We call on incoming Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Sixto Brillantes to reform the accreditation process for party-list groups. The last Comelec was universally condemned for accrediting and proclaiming bogus and fake party-list groups in contravention of landmark Supreme Court guidelines,” Miranda asserted.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Labor party supports PAL employee’s fight for justice
January 16, 2011
The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) declared its support for Philippine Airlines employee Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo’s fight for justice on the eve of the filing of a case against her abuser Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay. A contingent from PM will accompany Ocampo and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) in the filing of complaints against Magsaysay at the Ombudsman and the House Ethics Committee tomorrow.
The groups will troop to the Office of the Ombudsman by 10:00 a.m. and then to the Batasang Pambansa by 1:00 p.m. The complaints will allege that Magsaysay is guilty of The complaints will allege that Magsaysay is guilty of grave slander and conduct unbecoming of a high ranking public official among others.
“Sarah’s fight is the fight of all working women. We call on women workers and women advocates to stand up against sexism and for dignity in support of Sarah,” said Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general. PM will join other women’s groups in a forum tomorrow after the filing of cases. In the forum “Stand Up Against Sexism and Abuse of Working Women and Men” to be held at a restaurant in Quezon City, PM, PALEA and other groups will discuss a coordinated campaign for “Justice for Sarah Ocampo, Justice for Women Workers.”
“We hope Sarah’s courageous fight for justice will blaze a trail in the struggle for workers dignity. Service workers in the airline industry and call centers among others suffer indignities in the workplace through no fault of their own but receive no protection from their employers or the government. There are many more Sarahs who need support and protection against abusive and insensitive officials and customers,” insisted Miranda.
Miranda also questioned Magsaysay’s credentials as a supposed party-list representative. “Magsaysay’s abusive behavior towards a woman employee exposes his pretensions as a representative of the marginalized. What underrepresented sector exactly does Magsaysay’s Alliance of Voluntary Educators speak for? It appears that Magsaysay as an advocate of the marginalized is as fictional as Mikey Arroyo being a representative of tricycle drivers,” she added.
“We call on incoming Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Sixto Brillantes to reform the accreditation process for party-list groups. The last Comelec was universally condemned for accrediting and proclaiming bogus and fake party-list groups in contravention of landmark Supreme Court guidelines,” Miranda asserted.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Labor party calls for stop to trainee nurse fees, asks DOLE to inspect hospitals
Press Release
January 12, 2011
The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called for a stop to the practice of charging fees to trainee or on-the-job-trainee (OJT) nurses in the wake of a Senate hearing yesterday on the issue. Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson, attended the hearing and supported the position of nurses groups for an end to the “exploitation of hundreds of thousands of young registered nurses.”
Magtubo lambasted the representatives of hospital owners for feigning ignorance or denying the reality of the charging of OJT fees on nurses. He argued that “Instead of hospital owners challenging young nurses to file complaints, we instead call on the Department of Labor and Employment to make inspections of the hospitals and catch red-handed this pernicious and widespread practice.”
PM is pushing for trainee nurses to be treated as probationary employees who are guaranteed minimum wages and other benefits plus the opportunity to become regular nurses after the maximum of six months temporary status. “It is a triple whammy on young nurses to pay tuition fees while studying, then be denied a wage while working as a trainee and further be charged an exorbitant fee,” Magtubo asserted.
“More than a hundred thousand registered nurses are unemployed and anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 more will be added when the next batch of nurses graduates in April. The problem of nurses who are unemployed, underemployed & abused is reaching crisis proportions and resulting in abuses like OJT fees. Meanwhile nurses who are employed are overworked but utterly underpaid. This calls for protection by the government,” Magtubo explained.
PM is networking with various nurses groups to campaign for a stop to OJT fees. Magtubo added that “OJT fees on nurses are just one expression of the dire plight of young workers. Hotel and restaurant management students are being employed as trainees in the industry for no wages or below minimum labor standards. Dual tech student-workers are replacing regular workers in factories as another form of contractualization.”
“Regulating the number of nursing schools and students are just a partial solution to the problem. Nursing schools must have the facilities to train nurses on the job and as part of the curriculum to be accredited by the CHED. And then the DOLE must oversee the working conditions of trainee nurses in hospitals,” Magtubo insisted.
January 12, 2011
The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called for a stop to the practice of charging fees to trainee or on-the-job-trainee (OJT) nurses in the wake of a Senate hearing yesterday on the issue. Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson, attended the hearing and supported the position of nurses groups for an end to the “exploitation of hundreds of thousands of young registered nurses.”
Magtubo lambasted the representatives of hospital owners for feigning ignorance or denying the reality of the charging of OJT fees on nurses. He argued that “Instead of hospital owners challenging young nurses to file complaints, we instead call on the Department of Labor and Employment to make inspections of the hospitals and catch red-handed this pernicious and widespread practice.”
PM is pushing for trainee nurses to be treated as probationary employees who are guaranteed minimum wages and other benefits plus the opportunity to become regular nurses after the maximum of six months temporary status. “It is a triple whammy on young nurses to pay tuition fees while studying, then be denied a wage while working as a trainee and further be charged an exorbitant fee,” Magtubo asserted.
“More than a hundred thousand registered nurses are unemployed and anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 more will be added when the next batch of nurses graduates in April. The problem of nurses who are unemployed, underemployed & abused is reaching crisis proportions and resulting in abuses like OJT fees. Meanwhile nurses who are employed are overworked but utterly underpaid. This calls for protection by the government,” Magtubo explained.
PM is networking with various nurses groups to campaign for a stop to OJT fees. Magtubo added that “OJT fees on nurses are just one expression of the dire plight of young workers. Hotel and restaurant management students are being employed as trainees in the industry for no wages or below minimum labor standards. Dual tech student-workers are replacing regular workers in factories as another form of contractualization.”
“Regulating the number of nursing schools and students are just a partial solution to the problem. Nursing schools must have the facilities to train nurses on the job and as part of the curriculum to be accredited by the CHED. And then the DOLE must oversee the working conditions of trainee nurses in hospitals,” Magtubo insisted.
PALEA demands justice for abused member not mere apology from sexist solon
PRESS STATEMENT
PALEA
12 January 2011
“We want justice for Sarah and for all aviation workers who have suffered abuse from customers, especially politicians and government officials!”
This is the demand of Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) in response to Alliance of Volunteer Educators (AVE) Party-List Representative Eulogio Magsaysay’s “sorry” after members of PALEA and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) picketed his residence in Greenhills, San Juan.
PALEA plans to file cases against Magsaysay at the Ombudsman and House Ethics Committee next week. The Philippine Airlines (PAL) ground crew union is insisting that Magsaysay has liabilities under the law that cannot be simply dismissed through an apology. “Magsaysay must face the consequences of his abusive action and sexist remarks,” argued Ginalyn Licayan, head of PALEA’s Women Committee which is assisting fellow member Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo.
Judy Ann Miranda, secretary-general of PM which is supporting Ocampo’s fight for justice, claimed that “Sarah’s case is just the tip of the iceberg. Frontline service workers in the airline industry and call centers among others suffer indignities in the workplace through no fault of their own but receive no protection from their employers or the government. Sarah’s fight is a fight for the dignity of workers.”
Licayan quoted from Republic Act No. 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees”, which in the Declaration of Policy found in Section 2 states that: “It is the policy of the State to promote a high standard of ethics in public service. Public officials and employees shall at all times be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest.”
Licayan also pointed out that according to the Women’s Crisis Centre (WCC), a non-government organization with expertise in assisting violated women and children and which is handling Ocampo’s psychological needs, the verbal abuse that Ocampo was subjected to was tantamount to physical abuse, thus damaging to the dignity and self-confidence of the victim. “Hence, sorry is not enough,” she reiterated.
PALEA also lambasted PAL management’s lack of support for Ocampo. “PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna’s effort to play ‘Pontius Pilate’ smacks of PAL’s callous insensitivity to its workers. During peak season, despite the rush and stress, PAL employees stood their ground and did what management expected from hardworking and loyal employees. But now PAL is shirking from its responsibility to its employees by distancing itself from a workplace issue,” Licayan asserted.
PALEA is demanding that PAL draft a manual of operations instituting protection for employees in situations similar to Ocampo’s case.
PALEA
12 January 2011
“We want justice for Sarah and for all aviation workers who have suffered abuse from customers, especially politicians and government officials!”
This is the demand of Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) in response to Alliance of Volunteer Educators (AVE) Party-List Representative Eulogio Magsaysay’s “sorry” after members of PALEA and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) picketed his residence in Greenhills, San Juan.
PALEA plans to file cases against Magsaysay at the Ombudsman and House Ethics Committee next week. The Philippine Airlines (PAL) ground crew union is insisting that Magsaysay has liabilities under the law that cannot be simply dismissed through an apology. “Magsaysay must face the consequences of his abusive action and sexist remarks,” argued Ginalyn Licayan, head of PALEA’s Women Committee which is assisting fellow member Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo.
Judy Ann Miranda, secretary-general of PM which is supporting Ocampo’s fight for justice, claimed that “Sarah’s case is just the tip of the iceberg. Frontline service workers in the airline industry and call centers among others suffer indignities in the workplace through no fault of their own but receive no protection from their employers or the government. Sarah’s fight is a fight for the dignity of workers.”
Licayan quoted from Republic Act No. 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees”, which in the Declaration of Policy found in Section 2 states that: “It is the policy of the State to promote a high standard of ethics in public service. Public officials and employees shall at all times be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest.”
Licayan also pointed out that according to the Women’s Crisis Centre (WCC), a non-government organization with expertise in assisting violated women and children and which is handling Ocampo’s psychological needs, the verbal abuse that Ocampo was subjected to was tantamount to physical abuse, thus damaging to the dignity and self-confidence of the victim. “Hence, sorry is not enough,” she reiterated.
PALEA also lambasted PAL management’s lack of support for Ocampo. “PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna’s effort to play ‘Pontius Pilate’ smacks of PAL’s callous insensitivity to its workers. During peak season, despite the rush and stress, PAL employees stood their ground and did what management expected from hardworking and loyal employees. But now PAL is shirking from its responsibility to its employees by distancing itself from a workplace issue,” Licayan asserted.
PALEA is demanding that PAL draft a manual of operations instituting protection for employees in situations similar to Ocampo’s case.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
PALEA women employees picket AVE party-list representative – for sexist arrogance
PALEA
11 January 2011
Women and men members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) held a picket-rally this morning at the residence of Alliance of Volunteers Educators (AVE) Party-List Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay in Greenhills. This is to protest against his unbecoming conduct when he publicly shouted sexist remarks and threatened PALEA member Sarah Bonnin Ocampo with dismissal on 17 December last year.
The group, which included Ocampo, assembled around 10:00 am in front of Club Filipino together with members of the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM). PAL employee Ocampo alleges that Magsaysay threatened her with dismissal from work and of being a “menopausal bitch” in an incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport boarding area.
“We would like to seek justice for all aviation workers who are constantly experiencing disrespect and abuse from airline customers especially abusive politicians and government officials but have chosen to remain silent for fear of reprisal,” explained Ginalyn Licayan, head of PALEA’s Women Committee.
Ocampo plans to file both civil and criminal cases against the party-list representative. Despite being harassed by mysterious phone calls, she shall pursue the case with the full support of the PALEA, PM and various women groups which have expressed their indignation.
“Mr. Magsaysay represents those obnoxious politicians who shamelessly wield their positions with utmost arrogance against ordinary employees. Calling our co-employee names such as ‘menopausal bitch’ is the epitome of rudeness and sexism, totally embarrassing for a so-called ‘public servant.’ Naturingan pa siyang representante ng sektor ng edukasyon!” added Licayan.
“Government officials, especially the likes of Mr. Magsaysay should realize that workers are human beings who deserve respect. It is truly an embarrassment that a number of ‘public servants’ in our country do not know how to conduct themselves accordingly. Bagamat may patakaran ang Civil Service Commission laban sa ganitong kondukta ng mga empleyado maging ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno, they can easily get away with it. Because government itself is complacent, as if arrogance is the acceptable mark of a true blue government official, which should not be the case,” asserted PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.
“We cannot continue to allow government officials to use their position in maligning workers, especially those who undermine women workers’ right to be free from discrimination and sexism,” said Licayan.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Urban poor hold human chain protest to urge PNoy on moratorium on demolitions
Press Release
January 10, 2011
Kilos Maralita
An urban poor group led a human chain and noise barrage protest this morning to call on the government to fulfill the campaign promise of President Benigno Aquino III on a comprehensive reform of the housing program for the poor and a moratorium on demolitions. The group Kilos Maralita is pushing for a three-year moratorium on demolitions, evictions and foreclosures.
Some 300 urban poor from the constituent groups of Kilos Maralita such as the North Triangle Association, LUPA and Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) participated in the protest. The protesters linked arms in a human chain along EDSA from the corner of North Avenue to the corner of Quezon Avenue. They also held a 30-minute noise barrage by banging on pots and pans.
Teody Gacer of Kilos Maralita and leader of the North Triangle residents asserted that “It is high time that PNoy carry out his promise during the presidential campaign. We want government action on a thoroughgoing reform of socialized housing. We demand a three-year moratorium on demolitions.”
Tomorrow Kilos Maralita is going to Malacanang for a dialogue with government officials on their demand. The renewed campaign for a moratorium is in the face of reports that government is going to sign an executive order for a three-month moratorium.
“A three-month moratorium is a sick joke on the urban poor,” Gracer insisted. Representatives of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) will accompany the Kilos ng Maralita leaders in the Malacanang dialogue. CHR and NAPC have formally supported the Kilos Maralita demand for a three-year moratorium.
January 10, 2011
Kilos Maralita
An urban poor group led a human chain and noise barrage protest this morning to call on the government to fulfill the campaign promise of President Benigno Aquino III on a comprehensive reform of the housing program for the poor and a moratorium on demolitions. The group Kilos Maralita is pushing for a three-year moratorium on demolitions, evictions and foreclosures.
Some 300 urban poor from the constituent groups of Kilos Maralita such as the North Triangle Association, LUPA and Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) participated in the protest. The protesters linked arms in a human chain along EDSA from the corner of North Avenue to the corner of Quezon Avenue. They also held a 30-minute noise barrage by banging on pots and pans.
Teody Gacer of Kilos Maralita and leader of the North Triangle residents asserted that “It is high time that PNoy carry out his promise during the presidential campaign. We want government action on a thoroughgoing reform of socialized housing. We demand a three-year moratorium on demolitions.”
Tomorrow Kilos Maralita is going to Malacanang for a dialogue with government officials on their demand. The renewed campaign for a moratorium is in the face of reports that government is going to sign an executive order for a three-month moratorium.
“A three-month moratorium is a sick joke on the urban poor,” Gracer insisted. Representatives of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) will accompany the Kilos ng Maralita leaders in the Malacanang dialogue. CHR and NAPC have formally supported the Kilos Maralita demand for a three-year moratorium.
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