Workers most affected but the richest 1% got all of APEC gains

People walk to Baclaran from NAIA Road (MB Photo by Ali Vicoy)

Lost income, travel ban, road closures and clamp down on protests are all that workers will get this week while APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) VIPs and delegates travel in comfort, ensured of total security, and their agenda heard and advanced during high level meetings.

 

According to the partylist group Partido Manggagaw (PM), this contrast is a mere continuity of the sharp divide that characterizes APEC history – “workers doing the great sacrifice while APEC leaders and the capitalist class take control of enormous wealth and appropriating it among themselves and the region’s 1%.”

 

Members of Partido Manggagawa and the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) have a scheduled protest against the scourge of contractualization along the Airport Road and Roxas boulevard tomorrow but the total shutdown of the area is preventing many participants, including those coming from Cavite, from linking in.

 

“APEC will neither pay for workers’s lost wages nor care about their lost hours in traffic.  APEC also won’t bother curtailing workers’ rights to protest. These are all because APEC is all for business, its agenda is all about free trade and free market,” stated PM chair Renato Magtubo.

 

Magtubo said that for almost three decades, APEC was nothing but an exclusive gathering of business leaders whose agenda for trade and investments are guaranteed by aligning governments’ legal frameworks on economic policies. 

 

“Workers who created APEC’s USD 31 trillion GDP and facilitated 47% of world trade have never been made part of this Summit.  All of APEC’s agenda come from the top CEOs under the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC),” said Magtubo.

 

According to PM, part of APEC policies that have been pushed by business is labor flexibilization that takes a major form in outsourcing/contractualization programs.  “PAL’s outsourcing program is hailed by its bosses, as well as the Philippine President, as ‘global best practice’, indicating a major shift in the country’s industrial relation,” added Magtubo.

 

“Worldwide labor contractualization has become a plague – a policy that killed trade unionism, destroyed workers’ security of tenure, depressed wages, killed small and medium businesses, and driven millions of workers to unemployment and precarious working conditions in the informal economy,” explained Magtubo.

 

With a population of 2.8 billion people, the APEC economies are also home to the most number of billionaires, while some 750 million poor people live on less than USD 1.25 a day.

 

The Asian Development Bank has in fact noted that Asia’s rising inequality has denied the benefits of growth to many millions of its citizens “as the regions rich get richer much faster than the poor.”

16 November 2015

Wealth of PH 1% can feed entire nation – Partido Manggagawa

PRESS RELEASE

23 January 2015

 

Their number can hardly fill up a bus but the combined wealth of the country’s richest families can easily feed the entire nation.

 

This reality, the Partido Manggagawa (PM) said, can help explain the unreturned query of Glyzelle Palomar to Pope Francis on why only few people come to their help.

 

PM said Glyzelle was definitely not referring to the country’s 1% as the few good Samaritans but to the few likely neighbors that occasionally come to their aid. 

 

“Now it can be explained to Glyzelle that with just half of their estimated wealth of $74 billion (Php 3.2 trillion) in 2014, the country’s Richest 50[1] can actually provide 17 to 24 million families the basic minimum requirements of daily living for one year,” explained PM spokesman Wilson Fortaleza.

 

There are about 12 million Filipino families who consider themselves poor based on the latest survey by the Social Weather Station (SWS).  Government statistics, however, put the number of families in extreme poverty to only 4.2 million in 2012.[2]

 

The same report points out that in 2012, a Filipino family of five needed Php 7,890 to meet its basic food and non-food requirements every month.  For food alone it needs Php 5,513. 

 

Based on these estimates, a family of five needs at least Php 94,680 in one year to keep themselves above the poverty threshold or Php 66,156 to beat the food threshold. 

 

Fortaleza expounded that assuming the richest 50 gave up only half of their wealth which is equivalent to Php 1.6 trillion out of compassion for the poor, that can easily translate to 17 million families surviving poverty in one year or 24 million families surviving the food threshold. 

 

With an average size of 4.6 members, the Philippines has about 22 million families.

 

The labor group explained further that the combined wealth of the richest 50 is equivalent to five years salary for about 5 million minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region. 

 

But Fortaleza was quick to point out that this kind of scenario will never work out since in reality, it is the super rich that feeds on the hard labor and meagre income of poor Filipinos. 

 

The Forbes’ list of Philippines richest 50 showed families in oligopolistic control of the country’s vital industries such as power, water, telecommunications and transportation, banking and finance, farmlands and real estates, construction, highways, mining, hotels and restaurants, media and entertainment, and even in services like schools and hospitals.

 

Fortaleza pointed out that common issues against the capitalist owners of these industries include labor contractualization; high cost of their products and services; organized fraud with their capture of regulatory agencies; and their control of political power through sponsorship of political parties to actual bribery.

 

PM came up with its own assumptions also to echo Oxfam’s analysis that the richest 1% is gaining control of more than half of the world’s wealth by 2016.  The latter released its report on the eve of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland where world leaders talk mainly about business and other global concerns.

 

Fortaleza said that similarly, the richest 50 in the Philippines is getting a bigger slice (almost a third) of country’s gross domestic product as their wealth increased by 428%, from $14 billion in 2008 to $74 billion in 2014.   

 

The Philippine GDP, according to the World Bank, was estimated to value $272 billion in 2013. ###

---

[1] www.forbes.com/philippines

[2] NSCB - Despite rise in the number of families, extreme poverty among families remains steady at 1.6 million in 2012—NSCB 

Pagbati sa Bagong Taon mula sa Partido ng Manggagawa

New Year' Greetings from Philippine Airlines ground crew union PALEA

PALEA gets backing of Occupy protesters

Press Release

December 16, 2011

PALEA

Just as truck drivers and longshore workers got the support of Occupy rallyists in the US, the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) received the solidarity of Occupy protesters in Canada. Occupy Toronto activists together with Canadian airline unions held a solidarity action at the Toronto international airport last December 10. Last Tuesday various ports along the West Coast such as Oakland, Los Angeles and Portland were shutdown by community pickets of Occupy protesters with the support of port workers who refused to cross the picketlines. As is the practice in Occupy protests, the Toronto rally was called a “general assembly” and speeches were “echoed” by the participants.

The series of solidarity actions for PALEA continued with a picket at the Tokyo office of Philippine Airlines (PAL) by Japanese railway workers last December 12. On December 14 another rally was held at the Philippine consulate in Melbourne that was attended by PALEA vice president Alnem Pretencio, the head of the two million-strong Australian Council of Trade Unions Geraldine Kearney and leaders of the Australian Services Union which represents airline workers including Qantas, Maritime Union of Australia, Victorian Trades Hall Council and Australia Asia Worker Links.

Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of the Partido ng Manggagawa, said that “We salute the Occupy shutdown of the West Coast ports to demand justice for truck drivers and longshore workers. The fight for better pay, job security and union rights is a common struggle of port workers, airline employees and workers around the world. PALEA stands shoulder to shoulder with Occupy protesters.”

The latest series of solidarity actions for PALEA is the second wave after earlier rallies staged in late October to early November in Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Renato Magtubo, chair of PM and co-chair of the Church-Labor Conference, declared that “The latest rallies in support of PALEA are a level up from earlier actions since the call for a boycott of Lucio Tan-owned PAL and Air Philippines are explicitly expressed. The widespread boycott campaign will hurt PAL since the regional flights to Australia and Japan, and the transpacific flights to the US are among its most profitable operations.” He added that “The fact that PAL is having a promo during the Christmas peak season belies its claims that its operations are back to normal.”

Rivera claimed that “The convergence between the youth-led Occupy protests and the workers struggles for wages, jobs and rights is a welcome development. Social change will come from the unity and action of the 99%.”

For a video of the Toronto action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV8lFtTCo7Q

For photos of the Melbourne action: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.283439828375106.80352.100001272721169&type=1&l=94715c3e50

For photos of the Tokyo action: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.282035501848872.80162.100001272721169&type=1&l=adb20681a6

Diskontento ng manggagawa kay P-Noy, ihahayag sa araw ni Bonifacio

Press Release
November 30, 2011

Diskontento at pagkadismaya sa administrasyong Aquino ang ihahayag ng mga manggagawa sa araw ng bayani ng uri na si Gat Andres Bonifacio. Mula sa Mehan Garden sa Maynila ay magmamartsa patungong Mendiola ang mga myembro ng Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) at Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) para sumanib sa iba pang grupo ng manggagawa sa ilalim ng Koalisyon Kontra Kontraktwalisasyon (Kontra).

Dala ng PM at PALEA ang kahilingan na ibasura ang patakarang kontraktwalisasyon na ginawang ligal at unlimited ni P-Noy, at ibalik sa trabaho ang mga tinanggal na manggagawa sa PAL. Kasama rin sa kanilang kinokondena ang corporate greed na sya umanong dahilan sa paglawak pa ng inekwalidad
sa Pilipinas.

Elitistang hustisya

Ayon kay Renato Magtubo, tagapangulo ng PM, mananatiling elitista ang konsepto ng hustisya sa bansa hangga’t walang proteksyon ang mga manggagawa mula sa pang-aabuso ng kapital at hayaan lang ng gubyerno na umalagwa ang corporate greed sa bansa.

Dapat lang umanong papanagutin si Gloria sa mga kasalanang nagawa sa bansa, pero di rin dapat palagpasin
ang malawak na inhustisya na nararanasan ng milyun-milyong manggagawa mula sa kamay ng mga may
kontrol sa buhay nila - ang mga kapitalista.

Dagdag pa ni Magtubo, laganap pa rin ang kahirapan at inekwalidad sa bansa dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi
makaalpas ang 99% ng masang Pinoy sa pagsasamantala ng 1% o nang iilang may kontrol sa kanilang buhay.
Ang ganito rin umanong sitwasyon ang dahilan kung bakit sa loob ng mahigit 300 taon ay hindi umunlad ang
Pilipinas dahil sakmal ito ng kolonyalistang Espanol, sa pakikipagkutsabahan ng mga ilustrado, habang ang
masang Pinoy ay walang tinatamasang karapatan.

Nangangamba ang dating partylist representative na sa harap ng lumalalang krisis sa ekonomiya, lalo pang
ilalaglag ni P-Noy ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa gaya nang ginawa nito sa PAL, mapagbigyan lang ang
dating Marcos crony, suporter ni Gloria, at ikalawang pinakamayamang tao sa Pilipinas na si Lucio Tan.

Boycott PAL

Kasabay ng pagdiriwang sa ika-148 na kaarawan ni Andres Bonifacio ang pinaigting na kampanya ng mga unyon at simbahan para boykotin ang PAL hanggat hindi naibabalik ang mga myembro ng PALEA.
Sa susunod na araw ay nakatakda na ring magtipon ang mga civil society groups para plantsahin ang mga
hakbang para paigtingin pa ang kampanyang boykot ng PAL hanggang sa international community.
Nagpasalamat naman si PALEA president Gerry Rivera sa walang sawang pagsuporta ng ibat-ibang samahan sa laban ng PALEA.

Sinabi ni Rivera na hindi nila isusuko ang kanilang laban dahil kapag nagtagumpay umano si Lucio Tan sa kanyang outsourcing plan, hindi lang 2,600 kundi milyun-milyong manggagawang Pinoy ang maghihirap sa ilalim ng patakarang kontraktwalisasyon.

Matapos ang programa sa Mendiola ay magsasagawa ng motorcade ang mga mangagagawa patungong Coastal Mall kung saan magmamartsa ulit ang mga ito papunta sa protest camp ng PALEA para sa isa pang programa.

Tado mag-eemcee sa concert para sa PALEA

Press Release

November 26, 2011

PALEA

Si Tado Jimenez na mas kilala sa simpleng pangalang Tado ay mag-eemcee ng isang solidarity concert para sa PALEA mamayang gabi. Ang concert sa protest camp ng PALEA sa may

MIA Road

ay bilang paghahanda din sa darating na pagkilos ng mga manggagawa sa Araw ni Bonifacio sa Miyerkules.

“SuporTADO ko ang PALEA. Ang laban ng PALEA ay laban ng lahat, kasama ako,” sigaw ni Tado. Bukod kay Tado, marami nang artista, sikat at di kilala, ang bumisita sa protest camp at nakikiisa sa laban ng PALEA laban sa kontraktwalisasyon. Ilan sa naunang pumunta sa picketline ay si Sandy Andolong at May Paner o mas kilalang Juana Change.

Ilan sa bandang tutugtog ay Outsource Band, Makuri Makuru, Milky Summer, Mary's Palm, Suicidal Genius, OG Sacred at LTNS. Ang kantahan mamaya ay tinatawag na “Concert for the 99%: A Solidarity Night for the Workers and the Poor.” Ang katawagang 99% ay pinasikat ng

Occupy Wall Street

movement sa Amerika at tumutukoy sa malaking mayorya ng mamamayan na naghihirap sa kabila ng karangyaan ng iilan o ng 1%.

Hindi rin ito ang unang pagkakataon na magkakaroon ng concert sa protest camp sapagkat tuwing Sabado ay madalas na may bands na sumusuporta sa pamamagitan ng pagkanta at pagtatanghal. Noong Oktubre ay mga members ng grupong Dakila ang nag-concert sa kabila ng malakas na buhos ng ulan.

Ang temang 99% din ang mensaheng ipapabatid ng pagkilos sa Nobyembre 30. Libu-libong manggagawa nag magrarali sa Mendiola nang tanghali bago mag-motorcade papuntang protest camp ng PALEA sa hapon.

Lakbay-Hustisya gains support from workers and students on last day, ends in big protest at the PALEA campout

Press Release

November 4, 2011

PALEA

The Lakbay-Hustisya of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) garnered support from workers and students on the last leg of the three-day protest. It then ended in a big rally at the PALEA campout in MIA Road by late afternoon.

“We appreciate the warm support that we got from fellow workers, students and kababayans who we met in the three-day Lakbay-Hustisya. While Philippine Airlines asked for and got the assistance of employers organization, PALEA appealed to and received the solidarity of ordinary Filipinos. PAL is supported by the 1% but the 99% is in solidarity with PALEA,” asserted Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

The march was met this morning at UST in Manila by various workers groups under the Koalisyon Kontra Koalisyon (KONTRA). Later in the afternoon, volunteers from the College of St. Benilde-La Salle welcomed the Lakbay-Hustisya and distributed water to the marchers as it passed Taft Ave.

From UST, the Lakbay-Hustisya marchers and the KONTRA labor contingent marched to Mendiola for a noontime rally. KONTRA is calling on the government to intervene in the labor dispute so the retrenched PALEA members can return to their regular jobs.

Renato Magtubo, PM chair, lambasted Malacanang’s announcement that they will keep a hands-off policy in the labor row. “While PNoy prefers to turn a blind eye to the escalating dispute, workers are getting injured and killed with the two dispersal attempts on the PALEA protest camp. While the Labor Department supposedly conducts an investigation, PAL continues to harass the campout by purposely putting rotting on the adjacent walls and gates aside from blaring loud noise. Contrast the inaction of the government to the PAL labor row with the Australian government’s rapid intervention in the Qantas lockout,” he explained.

PALEA is appealing for support from students as the second semester opens in the coming days. Yesterday, a forum on PALEA was held at the Holy Trinity Parish attended by some 500 high school students including teachers, parents, lay and community leaders. Several student organizations already launched a “Don’t fly PAL during the sembreak” campaign last October in solidarity with PALEA.

After the College of St. Benilde “salubong,” the Lakbay-Hustisya proceeded to the PNB Building in Macapagal Ave. where PAL holds its administrative offices. PAL employees on their 3:00 pm break participated in short program at the PNB driveway. At 5:00 pm, another “salubong”’ was staged as PALEA members in the campout met the Lakbay-Hustisya marchers in a big rally. The rally culminated in a 6:00 pm mass at MIA Road.

99% endorse PALEA resolution at NAPC sectoral assembly

PRESS RELEASE

Kampanya para sa Makataong Pamumuhay

20 October 2011

The basic sectors, the 99% of the Filipino people have spoken.  Contractualization as a policy was rejected and they want President Aquino to utilize his powers to cause the reinstatement of 2,600 regular employees locked out by PAL beginning October 1, 2011.

This was the unanimous sentiment of the different sectors that gathered at the National Anti-Poverty Commission’s (NAPC) National Sectoral Assembly held from October 17-19 at different venues in Quezon City.

The Kampanya para sa Makataong Pamumuhay (KAMP), a coalition of different sectoral and civil society organizations campaigning for a life of dignity for all, is one of the many groups that attended the sectoral assembly.  KAMP is pushing for the universalization of social protection policies such as decent housing, employment guarantees, healthcare, and other social protection measures for the poor and marginalized sectors. 

KAMP coordinator Wilson Fortaleza, said a resolution, “expressing deep concern on the harmful consequence of outsourcing/contractualization schemes to the exercise of labor rights; and urging President Benigno S. Aquino III, with all his powers to intervene in labor-management disputes vital to national interest, to reinstate with full rights the 2,600 workers locked out by PAL on October 1, 2011”, was unanimously approved, first by the non-government organizations (NGO) sector and later by the women, youth and students, the elderly, and even the children sectors who gathered at the Great Eastern Hotel in Quezon City.

A similar resolution was also approved in the formal labor sectoral assembly held at another hotel where workers in the formal, informal, and migrant sectors were gathered.

“Now that the boss had spoken loud on this particular issue of contractualization and outsourcing in PAL, the ball is now on the hands of the President.  Either he is for the 99% or he is for the 1% represented by Mr. Lucio Tan,” said Fortaleza.

The “We are the 99%” slogan popularized by the “

Occupy Wall St.

” protesters, added Fortaleza, is also gaining interest from the basic sectors.

Created under Republic Act 8425, the NAPC institutionalizes the government’s Social Reform Agenda (SRAs), which aim is to strengthen and invigorate the partnership between the national government and the basic sectors.