As
more 1,300 workers at the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) in Lapu-Lapu City suffered
from job losses, the militant Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on the government
to address worsening unemployment instead of charter change. “Chicha hindi
chacha, ito ang dapat aksyunan,” stated Dennis Derige, PM Cebu spokesperson.
Some
1,300 workers of the garment factory Yuen Thai were put on forced leave
starting today until March 31, 2024. Meanwhile 70 workers of electronics firm
Taiyo Yuden were retrenched due to redundancy. “It is already difficult for
workers to make ends meet with meager wages but now their families may go
hungry with no jobs at all,” Derige described the situation of the affected.
PM
called on the government, specifically the Philippine Economic Zone Authority
(PEZA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), to exercise social
dialogue and discuss with workers concrete solutions to the problem of job
losses in the MEZ.
“PEZA
and DOLE must immediately convene a tripartite council in MEZ that includes
representatives of workers from existing labor unions in the ecozone. This is
already provided for in the Section 38 of the PEZA Law or RA 7916. However,
this pro-labor and social dialogue provision has remained unimplemented by PEZA
and DOLE,” Derige explained.
He added “Existing laws and even the current Constitution guarantees rights and freedoms to workers but the government and employers have maneuvered to make these rules unenforced so that labor remains unprotected. Implement not amend the Constitution to make life better for workers. Enforce the social justice provisions of the Constitution. Ban political dynasties. These are what we should be doing instead of people’s initiative and charter change.”
Press Release
February 1, 2024
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