PM condemns violent dispersal of NutriAsia protest

Partido Manggagawa condemns in strongest terms the violent dispersal of PNP forces on the peaceful protest action of workers and their supporters which has resulted into scores of injuries and arrests.

The issue of the protest action is a legitimate one—the demand for regularization of hundreds of workers employed by manpower agencies for many years to the principal employer, the NutriAsia.

We call on the people, especially workers, to boycott NutriAsia products until the labor dispute is resolved. The boycott will not only support the legitimate struggle of workers, but more importantly, send a strong message by the public to NutriAsia, that consumers will not patronize products sold and profited by a company that is violating workers’ rights.

We call on the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the incident and file appropriate actions to those found violating worker’s constitutional right to peaceful concerted action including the right to strike.

We also call on the Department of Labor and Employment to step up their effort in mediating the labor dispute in NutriAsia with the end in view of strictly enforcing compliance with labor laws and regulations pertaining to labor contracting.

Finally, we call on the Senate to prioritize the deliberation of Senate Bill 1826 in order for Congress to finally legislate a new law governing labor contracting in the country. A new law that clearly upholds worker’s right to security of tenure and effectively address widespread use of contractual labor would surely help in averting labor disputes such as in NutriAsia.

July 31, 2018

Workers slam Duterte’s SONA for dishonesty on endo

In reaction to the SONA of President Rodrigo Duterte, the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) today called him out for being less than honest on his statement about contractualization.

Rene Magtubo, PM national chair, said that “PRRD was less than honest on endo. The 300,000 workers allegedly regularized have either been terminated as companies appeal the DOLE compliance order or have merely been made regular employees of agencies. He had the power to promulgate an executive order that made direct hiring the norm in employment relations but instead he signed a lame EO 51. He asked Congress to a law to end contractualization but he still has not certified the Security of Tenure bill as urgent.”

“PRRD obviously feels the pressure of the workers’ demand against contractualization but still refuses to heed the demand to decisively end it. Workers have enough of his alibis and broken promises. It is up to workers movement to fight for an end to endo,” he added.

Yesterday, PM mobilized a thousand workers and poor in a “tambay protest” in the NHA main office before joining the massive United People’s SONA. The group and its affiliated Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) slammed the NHA for being negligent or “tambay” in providing for the housing needs of the poor thus resulting in unused units and years-old wait for beneficiaries.

Magtubo insisted that “There was nothing new in the SONA 2018.  PRRD’s SONA 2018 was boring despite the direction of romcom queen Joyce Bernal and compared to the action-drama of the House coup. Even the spectators inside the Batasan were not as excited as before when PRRD’s SONA was interrupted by standing ovations and vigorous clapping. The power play in the House of Representatives, the drop in PRRD’s satisfaction ratings and the massive United People’s SONA rally took the thunder out of the speech.”

PM chapters in the cities of Cebu, Bacolod and Davao also joined rallies or activities together with other groups in those areas as part of the nationwide counter-SONA events.

“We shed no tears for the hour-long delay in the SONA. The House intramurals expose that the old rotten politics is alive and kicking under PRRD despite his repeated promises of change. Bulok, bulok, bulok sa halip na build, build, build,” Magtubo asserted.

He furthered that “PRRD was silent on the workers demand for a wage increase and his promise to end wage regionalization or ‘provincial rates’ in his own words. On the other hand, he was adamant in supporting the TRAIN law that has eroded workers’ wages as inflation continues to worsen. And he has called for passage of regressive TRAIN 2 that will lower corporate taxes.”

“Workers and the poor are suffering under PRRD. Besides endo and inflation, workers communities are ravaged by the bloody war on drugs and the wanton arrest of tambays. Which will be relentless as PRRD has insisted in SONA 2018. Human lives are protected and upheld by human rights despite PRRD’s rhetoric. The more than 12,000 mostly poor Filipinos who have been killed in the war on drugs unequivocally reveals that human lives are lost when human rights are disparaged,” Magtubo averred.

July 24, 2018

SONA2018: Boring speech compared to action-drama of House coup

PRRD’s SONA 2018 was boring despite the direction of romcom queen Joyce Bernal and compared to the action-drama of the House coup. Even the spectators inside the Batasan were not as excited as before when PRRD’s SONA was interrupted by standing ovations and vigorous clapping.

We shed no tears for the hour-long delay in the SONA. The House intramurals expose that the old rotten politics is alive and kicking under PRRD despite his repeated promises of change. Bulok, bulok, bulok sa halip na build, build, build.

The power play in the House of Representatives, the drop in PRRD’s satisfaction ratings and the massive United People’s SONA rally took the thunder out of the speech.

There was nothing new in the SONA 2018. PRRD obviously feels the pressure of the workers’ demand against endo but still refuses to heed the demand to decisively end it. He was less than honest on endo. The 300,000 workers allegedly regularized have either been terminated as companies appeal the DOLE compliance order or have merely been made regular employees of agencies. He had the power to promulgate an executive order that made direct hiring the norm in employment relations but instead he signed a lame EO 51. He asked Congress to a law to end contractualization but he still has not certified the Security of Tenure bill as urgent.

PRRD was silent on the workers demand for a wage increase and his promise to end wage regionalization or “provincial rates” in his own words. On the other hand, he was adamant in supporting the TRAIN law that has eroded workers’ wages as inflation continues to worsen. And he has called for passage of regressive TRAIN 2 that will lower corporate taxes.

Workers and the poor are suffering under PRRD. Besides endo and inflation, workers communities are ravaged by the bloody war on drugs and the wanton arrest of tambays. Which will be relentless as PRRD has insisted in SONA 2018. Human lives are protected and upheld by human rights despite PRRD’s rhetoric. The more than 12,000 most poor that have been killed in the war on drugs unequivocally reveals that human lives are lost when human rights is disparaged.

23 July 2018

Alyansa ng maralita “tatambay” muna sa NHA bago sumanib sa United Peoples SONA

Magsasagawa muna ng “Tambay Protest” ang mga myembro ng Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) sa tanggapan ng National Housing Authority (NHA) alas diyes (10:00AM) ng umaga bukas bago magmartsa patungong Commonwealth Avenue at Batasan para sumanib sa Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (Kalipunan) at United Peoples SONA (UPS). 

Ayon kay Ver Estorosas, tagapagsalita ng AMP, layunin ng “Tambay Protest” na ipakita sa NHA at sa publiko ang malungkot na estado ng programang pabahay ng pamahalaan. Sa kasalukuyan anila ay bukod sa napakabagal ay kulang na kulang ang programa para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mahihirap na Pilipino para sa ligtas at disenteng paninirahan. 

Kung tutuusin daw ay ang NHA daw ang siyang “tambay” sa usapin na ito dahil sa napakabagal na implementasyon ng mga programang pabahay – mula sa pagproseso ng aplikasyon ng mga benepisyaryo hanggang sa substandard na konstruksyon ng mga proyekto sa mga off-city at walang kabuhayan na relocation sites. 

Ayon pa kay Estorosas, hindi mauubusan ng benipisyaryo ang programang pabahay ng pamahalaan kaya’t dapat madaliin ang mga proseso hinggil dito at laanan ng malaking pondo. 

Sa kasalukuyan ay umaabot pa sa mahigit 6 na milyon ang housing backlog sa buong bansa at inaasahang lolobo pa ito sa 12 milyon sa taong 2030. Kaya’t pinupuna din ng AMP ang programang build-build-build (BBB) na popondohan ng mga bagong buwis dahil mas nakatuon umano ang mga infrastructure project nito sa mga negosyante at hindi sa pabahay ng mga maralita. 

Ibinabaling din umano ng gubyerno ang pulisya sa madugong anti-drugs at anti-tambay na kampanya na nagdudulot ng pangamba at karahasan sa mahihirap na komunidad. Ang kailangan umano ay magkaroon ng regular na trabaho at disenteng tirahan ang mga Pilipino para ganap na mawala ang mga tambay at pasaway sa mga lansangan. 

Sinamahan ng mga lider ng Partido Manggagawa (PM) ang protesta ng AMP dahil naniniwala ang partido na kawalan ng disenteng trabaho at paninirahan ang tunay na pinagmumulan ng problema. 

Ayon kay Renato Magtubo, tagapangulo ng PM, ang mga usaping ito ang naghahanap ng kongkretong pagbabago sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang administrasyon, hindi pa ang istruktura ng pamahalaan na nais baguhin sa isinusulong na chacha. 

Mula sa NHA ay tutulak ang grupo patungo sa Toyota Commonwealth para sumanib sa Kalipunan at sa United Peoples SONA.

Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP)

23 July 2018

Media Advisory: Tambay protest bukas ng mga maralita sa NHA

MEDIA ADVISORY

22 July 2018

Request for coverage

TAMBAY PROTEST NG MGA MARALITA SA NHA

                                   

Bago sumanib sa Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa (Kalipunan) at United Peoples SONA (UPS) sa tanghali ay magsasagawa muna ng protesta ang mga myembro ng Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) at Partido Manggagawa (PM) sa tanggapan ng National Housing Authority (NHA) para singilin ang ahensya sa mabagal na implementasyon ng programang pabahay nito, kabilang ang pagtugon sa hinaing ng mga lehitimong nag-aaplay na mga benepisyaryo sa kanyang programa.

Dahil sa bagal ay nagmimistulan umanong TAMBAY ang NHA sa pagpapatupad ng programang pabahay kaya nabibinbin ang maraming proyekto at nakatunganga ang mga benepisyaryo.

10:00 AM              July 23, 2018

National Housing Authority

Elliptical Circle, Quezon City

Contact: Yuen Abana @ 09162811934

Media Advisory: Urban poor protest tom ahead of United People's SONA

For a radical alternative to Duterte

Richard Heydarian argues (Leni and the ‘third way,’ July 10, 2018) that Vice President Leni Robredo should remake herself into a “third way” alternative ala Tony Blair of UK and Bill Clinton of the US. With Robredo declaring her intent to lead the opposition, the question of an alternative to Duterte is truly worth discussing and debating.

The so-called third way epitomized by Blair and Clinton has been described by critics as “neoliberalism with a human face” or “austerity lite.” In which case, Robredo already is third way, as she is the current leader of the Liberal Party that in its six years in power under Noynoy Aquino presided over pro-globalization policies in the guise of “public-private partnerships” and was exemplified by its affirmation of contractualization in the Philippine Airlines outsourcing dispute.

Robredo embodies a continuation of EDSA and thus of the epic failures of the elite democracy established after the Marcos dictatorship. In contrast, Duterte has made a popular career out of lambasting the EDSA democracy from the right. We believe a viable alternative to Duterte should come out of a radical critique of EDSA’s trapo democracy from the left.

Heydarian posits that a radical alternative to the status quo has been eclipsed by the hegemonic discourse of neoliberalism. Thus his espousal of Blairism and Clintonism. But it can be argued that Blair and Clinton’s swing to the right merely paved the way for a further shift and thus the rise of extremism of the UKIP and Trump. Blair and Clinton’s abandonment of the historic and traditional working class base of the Labour Party and the Democratic Party made them prey to demagoguery of right populists.

Heydarian likewise insists that socialism has been made passé by the rise of postmodernism. However, this is belied by the rise of Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders. In opposition to Blair and Clinton, Corbyn and Sanders have openly identified themselves as socialists and have championed radical platforms of reversing globalization. Corbyn has wrestled control of the Labour Party from third way acolytes and is poised to be the next Prime Minister if new elections were held. Sanders of course lost the primaries to Hillary Clinton through the undemocratic maneuverings of the Democratic Party machine but he would have beaten Trump in the election according to surveys.

Despite predictions of the end of history and the death of grand narratives, socialism is alive and kicking. The defeat of working class struggles heralded the birth of neoliberalism but discontent over the greed and barbarism of globalization is engendering renewed resistance. Majority of millennials in the US prefer socialism over capitalism. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, just trounced in the primaries a high-ranking Democratic Party leader and is primed to become the youngest congresswoman in the next US elections.

In many countries, radical candidates not third way politicians are in ascendancy as the rivals to authoritarian leaders. Andrés Manuel López Obrador just won Mexico’s election on a progressive platform of change. In Europe, third way social democratic parties have collapsed and it is new radical left parties which are battling extreme right wing groups for political hegemony.

In the Philippines, more than 30 years of the EDSA regimes have exhausted the majority who remain mired in poverty and hopelessness, and even the middle and upper classes who are disillusioned at corruption and underdevelopment. Duterte has harvested the discontent at EDSA democracy and is trying to channel it into support for dictatorship. But after two years of broken promises, Duterte’s satisfaction ratings are down from excellent to good, especially among the urban masses who are reeling from endo and inflation. They are the constituency for a radical alternative to Duterte and the rotten system of the EDSA regimes.

Request for coverage: Nagkaisa presscon on SONA 2018

MEDIA ADVISORY

17 July 2018

Contact: Emz Atienza

09268233961

Ruby Monge

09176380245

Request for coverage

PRESS CONFERENCE

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition

END ENDO AT DAGDAG SWELDO

HINDI CHACHA AT PEDERALISMO!

JULY 18, 2018                     10:00 AM

TO BE HELD AT WORKERS HOUSE

94 Sct. Delgado  Bgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City

Inflation is up. The peso is getting weaker. Investments are down. Trading is dull. The build-build-build (BBB) projects are facing delays. Unemployment and underemployment are on the rise.

Sa paulit-ulit na survey ay presyo, sweldo at trabaho ang pangunahing concern ng mga Pilipino. Sa pinakahuling survey naman ay ayaw ng mayorya ng mga Pilipino ang charter change.

Pero bakit sa ikatlong SONA ni Pangulong Duterte ay chacha at pederalismo ang

Magiging mayor na agenda?

Worse times for workers with wages eroded, labor rights threatened

The labor group Partido Manggagawa observed that two years into the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, workers are facing rough times with rising inflation eroding wages and labor rights threatened with charter change.

“Wages must be increased across-the-board nationwide to cope with inflation. Charter change must also be stopped for it will lead to the deterioration of labor rights,” declared Rene Magtubo, national chair of PM.

He added that “Contrary to employers’ opinion, the five-year high inflation in June of 5.2% constitutes a supervening event that should trigger a round of wage increases. But instead of regional wage boards acting in the face of worsening inflation, we call on President Duterte to use his SONA speech to call on Congress for a legislated salary hike. Further, we challenge him to make good on his promise to abolish regional wages and institute a national minimum wage.”

Magtubo insisted that “Chicha hindi cha-cha ang dapat atupagin ng gobyerno. Survey after survey have shown that people do not desire charter change and instead want better jobs, higher wages and lower prices.”

The group is concerned at the proposed new constitution approved by the Constitutional Committee tasked by President Duterte to draft the shift to federalism. PM vowed to mobilize workers in a campaign against the charter change.

“Aside from the loophole that allows for term extension for the sitting president, the draft charter dilutes the rights of workers guaranteed under the present Constitution. Instead of strengthening labor and human rights, they are degraded in the anemic language of the draft Constitution,” Magtubo pointed out.

PM noted that the draft charter dropped explicit recognition of workers’ rights to collective bargaining, to peaceful concerted action including strike, to humane conditions of work, to participation in policy making processes and to labor’s just share in the fruits of production. The group saw similar weakening in the language of protection for human rights and recognition of rights for other marginalized groups in the proposed charter.

“No wonder the phrase ‘The State shall afford full protection to labor’ in the present Constitution was lost in the draft. Even as we assert that the present Constitution can be vastly improved, we will not allow it to be degraded in the meantime,” Magtubo explained.

July 7, 2018

Cavite workers gear up for strike anew

Workers of an electronics factory in the Cavite ecozone are preparing to go on strike once more due to the mass termination of all union officers. The all-women labor union at the Lakepower Converter Inc. filed a notice of strike after mediation talks last Wednesday broke down due to the refusal of management to reinstate eight union officers who were terminated.

The Lakepower women workers went on a five-month strike that started in December 2017 to demand a stop to the harassment of union officers and members. The strike was settled last April due to the intervention of the Department of Labor and Employment. As part of the agreement, 64 union officers and members were to return to work.

“However, Lakepower reneged on the agreement. It reinstated union members but immediately suspended union officers. After a month-long suspension, they were then terminated. This is obviously a case of union busting,” declared Rene Magtubo, chair of Partido Manggagawa (PM), which is assisting the Lakepower women workers.

Lakepower is a Taiwanese-owned parts supplier to global electronics companies like Recom Power, Arrow Electronics, Asus and Texas Instruments. To avert another strike, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board is calling the management and union to conciliation meetings next week.

Magtubo asserted that union busting and harassment of unionists in Lakepower is not an isolated case in the export processing zones. Last week, PM condemned the posting of a “wanted list” of unionists at the gate of the Mactan, Cebu Economic Zone and its security office. Also last week, in the middle of negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), a union president and vice president were arrested due to a criminal complaint in Valenzuela.

“We are alarmed at this disturbing pattern of unionists being treated as criminals. Unionism is not a crime. But with the prevailing culture of impunity, employers are emboldened to criminalize unionists and treat them as terrorists,” asserted Magtubo. A global union body had listed the Philippines as among the worst countries for workers in its 2018 Global Rights Index.

Names and pictures of Myra Opada, Luzelie Gesta and Aurelia Parangan were on the “wanted list” in the Mactan ecozone. Opada is union president at Philippine Light Leather Corp. (PLLC), Gesta is secretary of the union and Parangan is an active member. All three have been terminated by PLLC management but the workers have filed cases of union busting, unfair labor practice and illegal dismissal.

Meanwhile, the president and vice president of the labor union at the Nation Paper Products and Printing Corp. (NAPPCO) were arrested and detained at a Valenzuela police station for two days. The CBA negotiations were cancelled as a result of the arrest and detention.

July 6, 2018