Call center workers demand reforms in BPO industry

 Press Release

February 25, 2013

  

On the occasion of the anniversary of the February 1986 EDSA uprising, a newly formed association of call center workers today demanded reforms in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry to protect labor rights. In a press conference in Cebu City, the Inter-Call Center Association of Workers (ICCAW) declared that “We are for a stable BPO industry so that we can have regular jobs that provide decent salaries and benefits but this cannot happen if the requirements and criteria for opening a call center company are so relaxed.”

The first public activity of ICCAW was occasioned by its open support for employees of Cordia Philippines, a call center based in Cebu City’s Asiatown I.T. Park. Some 76 Cordia workers have already filed cases against their former employer at the National Labor Relations Commission for illegal closure, non-payment of salaries and non-remittance of their mandated benefits.

Many of ICCAW’s pioneers were workers of Direct Access, another call center which closed down and left its employees with unpaid wages and benefits. But after months of protests, lobbying and the support of the militant Partido ng Manggagawa, the Direct Access workers were able to secure their monetary claims.

Ruben Josol, ICCAW spokesperson, averred “ICCAW is coming out in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Cordia. We are enraged that a call center company closes down, runs away from its obligations but then easily opens up a new company of the same nature and with its former clients. Some employers have been held accountable but majority are running scot-free and with impunity. We attribute this problem due to lack of strong state regulation in BPO industry.”

“We want a BPO company to be a better place to work with but if the occupational health of employees are compromised this industry will instead be a time bomb just waiting to explode. We are also asking candidates running in the elections to make workers demands part of their platform. If our so-called democracy is not just all form but has some substance, then the demands of the majority of the people must be met by those seeking the mandate of the voters,” Josol added.

A priority agenda of ICCAW is stricter government regulation of the BPO industry. It is proposing guidelines on requirements to set up call centers must be put in place and strictly implemented. This will reduce fly by night centers that are not financially equipped to run the business and does not respect labor rights, according to the group.

“We aim to be a voice and advocate for call center and BPO workers so that the 600,000 employees in the industry who are entirely unorganized can enjoy protection,” Josol insisted.

ICCAW is also calling for industry-wide standards for wages, benefits and entitlements that must be well above the minimum mandated by law and commensurate to the profitable dollar-earning nature of the call center industry.

Semirara mining disaster: A wake-up call on government to change course

PRESS RELEASE

17 February 

A change in mining policy and use of coal in power generation must be taken into consideration when government agencies conduct their investigations on the mining disaster that took place off Semirara island in the province of Antique, the labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) said in a statement.

PM Chair Renato Magtubo, said that aside from the working condition which is the group’s primary concern on this issue, the Sermirara disaster also confirms the basic flaw in operating a business that gambles with the lives of workers and in promoting an industry that destroys the balance of nature.

The incident left at least seven people dead while several others are still missing.   It also raised the prospect of the country having to face a supply problem since the Semirara Mining Corporation supplies 90% of the country’s coal requirements. 

“This is another wake-up call for government to change course.  A hard choice has to be made here whether we proceed with the hazards of coal mining or we make a decisive shift towards renewable energy and to a more safe and sustainable sources of jobs,”stated Magtubo.

Coal mining and coal-powered generation system in the power industry contribute significantly to the global warming as they emit more carbon (CO2) to the atmosphere compared to renewable energy sources.  Almost 30% or 4,867MW of the country’s 16,359 MW total installed generating capacity comes from coal. 

“This sector is supposed to be in the outward transition in the midst of climate crisis.  Unfortunately, the failure of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to generate additional capacities made coal the preferred option for private investors,” added Magtubo.

Magtubo explained further that while the mining industry creates employment, its share to the country’s total employment is a negligible 0.07% based on the latest Labor Force Survey.  He added that except for mine engineers, ordinary mine workers receive low wages despite this industry being considered most dangerous to workers by the International Labor Organization (ILO).  And even with too much hype on the benefits derived from mining, the country’s share from private mining activities is only about 2% in excise tax. 

Meanwhile, the Partido ng Manggagawa is putting up a “Manggagawa Naman!” challenge to candidates to ensure that even with election fever workers issues are not eclipsed by costly and noisy political ads. 

“If they want to court our vote, then they should stand first with our ‘Apat na Dapat’ demand,” said Magtubo.

The ‘Apat na Dapat’ demands under the ‘Manggagawa Naman’ challenge include demands for regular jobs and a living wage; universal health care, education and affordable housing; equal rights and opportunities for women; and low prices on food, water and power.

Workers hold Valentine’s Day protest for reinstatement of PAL workers

Press Release

February 14, 2013

Contact Alnem Pretencio @ 09209543634

Workers hold Valentine’s Day protest for reinstatement of PAL workers

Members of the labor coalition Nagkaisa and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) held a Valentine’s Day rally at the headquarters of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and called for the reinstatement of Philippine Airlines (PAL) workers back to their regular jobs. The rallyists dubbed their action as “Harana para sa mga puso” as it appealed to the new PAL management from the SMC group for a resolution to the long-running labor dispute.

“On this day of hearts, we knock on the hearts of the new PAL management to heed the demand for reinstatement. This is already the second Valentine’s Day of PALEA members on the picketlines and we are no less determined to continue fighting until we are able to return to our regular jobs,” said Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Hundreds of Nagkaisa and PALEA members assembled at the Podium around 9:30 am before proceeding to the nearby SMC headquarters at the Ortigas CBD. The Valentine’s Day protest followed a series of mass actions since October last year at the SMC headquarters. The protests led to the renewal of negotiations between PALEA and the new PAL management which is still ongoing.

Meanwhile the PALEA and PM contingent in the Valentine’s Day rally also bannered the demand “Manggagawa Naman!” as a challenge to senatorial candidates to put the concerns of labor on their platform. The protection of job security and promotion of regular jobs is a major concern of the workers in this election, Today’s rally is a continuation of labor’s campaign around issues for the duration of the electoral season.

“We challenge the senator wannabes to make workers issues part of their agenda. If our so-called democracy is not just all form but has some substance, then the demands of the majority of the voters—which is the working class—must be heeded by the candidates,” asserted Rivera.

The “Mangggawa Naman” movement is pushing for a set of demands which they call “Apat na Dapat”:

1.     Regular jobs

2.     Affordable housing

3.     Health and education for all

4.     Cheap food, electricity and water.

The "Manggagawa Naman" movement had kickoff activity in the early evening of February 8 when some 300 workers marched with torches ablaze around the airport area while carrying streamers and banners of their "Apat na Dapat" demands.

Pols challenged to put workers concerns on platform

Press Release

February 10, 2013

The militant Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) asked candidates running in the elections to make workers demands part of their platform. PM issued the dare with two days to go before the start of the campaign of national candidates and as part of its electoral advocacy.

“If our so-called democracy is not just all form but has some substance, then the demands of the majority of the people must be met by those seeking the mandate of the voters. The electoral air war is already heating up even before February 12 with wannabes senators maximizing the loophole of the law by flooding television and radio with pre-campaign political ads. Yet we have to see any of them respond to the urgent demands of the workers and poor aside from motherhood statements,” declared Judy Ann Miranda, secretary general of PM.

As a kickoff for labor’s campaign around issues, last Friday some 300 workers bannered the demand “Manggagawa Naman!” as a challenge to senatorial and other candidates. “The torch parade around the airport area is the herald of the ‘Manggagawa Naman Movement’ which seeks to highlight labor issues in this election,” Miranda explained.

The workers pushed for a set of demands which they called “Apat na Dapat”:

1.     Regular jobs

2.     Affordable housing

3.     Health and education for all

4.     Cheap food, electricity and water.

In the Friday mass action, members of members of PM, the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA), United Cavite Workers Association, Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Paranaque, Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Antipolo, Zone One Tondo Organization and Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino marched from the PALEA protest camp to the Our Lady of Airways Parish in Pasay and then back several times. The scores of torches lit the night and highlighted the placards emblazoned with the slogan “Manggagawa Naman!”

Before the torch parade, the workers celebrated the 13^th founding anniversary of PM and commemorated the first year of the group PM Coalition with an afternoon-long program of speeches, presentations and cultural numbers at the PALEA picketline. The workers also paid homage to Filemon “Ka Popoy” Lagman who was assassinated on February 6, 2001 in the University of the Philippines. Lagman was the brain child behind the formation of PM as a labor party. ###

Workers rally to dare candidates on platform with call for “Manggagawa Naman!”

Press Release

February 8, 2013

  

With the campaign period for national candidates set to start next Tuesday, some 300 workers bannered the demand “Manggagawa Naman!” as a challenge to senatorial and other candidates to put the concerns of labor on their platform. The rally around the airport area is the kickoff for labor’s campaign around issues for the duration of the electoral season.

“The electoral air war is already heating up even before February 12 with senator wannabes maximizing the loophole of the law by flooding television and radio with pre-campaign political ads. Yet we have to see any of them respond to the urgent demands of the workers and poor aside from motherhood statements. We dare them to put the concerns of labor on their platform,” asserted Renato Magtubo, chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

At 6:00 p.m. the hundreds of members of PM, the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA), United Cavite Workers Association, Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Paranaque, Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Antipolo, Zone One Tondo Organization and Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino streamed out of the picketline outside the PAL In-Flight Center for the torch parade.

The ralliysts marched from the PALEA protest camp to the Our Lady of Airways Parish and then back. The scores of torches lit the night and highlighted the placards emblazoned with the slogan “Manggagawa Naman!”

 The workers pushed for a set of demands which they called “Apat na Dapat”:

1.     Regular jobs

2.     Affordable housing

3.     Health and education for all

4.     Cheap food, electricity and water

Before the torch parade, the workers celebrated the 13^th founding anniversary of PM and commemorated the first year of the group PM Coalition with an afternoon-long program of speeches, presentations and cultural numbers at the PALEA picketline. The workers also paid homage to Filemon “Ka Popoy” Lagman who was assassinated on February 6, 2001 in the University of the Philippines. Lagman was the brain child behind the formation of PM as a labor party. ###

Advisory: Workers to rally and challenge candidates on platform

8 February 2013

Contact: Judy Ann Miranda @ 09175570777, 09228677522

Workers to challenge candidates on platform: Manggagawa Naman!

WHAT: Some 300 workers and poor to rally and call on candidates for platform-based campaign

WHEN: Today, February 8 (Friday), 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: PALEA protest camp to Our Lady of Airways Parish and back

DETAILS: With the campaign period for national candidates set to start next week, workers and poor will banner the demand “Manggagawa Naman!” as a challenge to senatorial and other candidates to put the concerns of labor on their platform. The rally around the airport area is the kickoff for labor’s campaign around issues for the duration of the electoral season. Specifically the workers are pushing for “Apat na Dapat” set of demands:

1.    Regular jobs

2.     Affordable housing

3.     Health and education for all

4.     Cheap food, electricity and water