The labor group Partido
Manggagawa (PM) denounced the arrest of several of its leaders and organizers
in Cebu during the Bonifacio Day action of workers in the gate of the Mactan
Economic Zone.
“We call for the release of PM
leaders Dennis Derige, Myra Opada, Joksan Branzuela, Jonel Labrador and
Cristito Pangan. Activism is not terrorism. Repression of labor rights and
harassment of human rights defenders must stop. This is precisely the theme of
today’s national and global commemoration of Bonifacio Day,” declard Rene
Magtubo.
Members of Mactan Ecozone
Workers Alliance, Partido Manggagawa and Sentro assembled at the Gate 3 of the
Mactan Economic Zone at 8:00 am then marched towards Gate 2 where they held a
program that highlighted the attacks on workers’ rights to unionize, bargain collectively,
seek redress of grievances, and peaceful assembly.
Retrenched workers of
factories in the Mactan ecozone joined the Bonifacio Day commemoration in Cebu against
repression of labor rights. Last Friday, some 300 workers of First Glory Apparel
were fired. This comes on the heels of mass layoffs at other garment firms in
the Mactan ecozone in the last three months—the Sports City group of companies
retrenched 4,000 workers, Yuenthai fired 2000 workers and FCO laid off 100
workers.
Magtubo insisted that “The
arrest of PM Cebu labor organizers puts a spotlight on the escalating attacks
on workers’ rights in the country and adds to the unsolved killings of unionists,
busting of unions and red-tagging of union activists. Last PM-Cavite labor
organizer Dennis Sequena was brutally murdered last year while facilitating a labor
seminar.”
November 30, 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment