‘Baguhin ang Labor Code Hindi ang Konstitusyon’: Comrades remember Ka Popoy Lagman amid ‘tumultuous’ time

 

Filemon “Ka Popoy” Lagman was assassinated inside the University of the Philippines Diliman campus 23 years ago today. Nobody claimed responsibility for his murder, but his comrades in the labor movement do not rule out state involvement by many means, as the revolutionary labor leader played a key role in mass mobilizations during important social issues of his time, including charter change.

 

Partido Manggagawa (PM) Chair Renato Magtubo, a union president and a partylist representative then, remembers Ka Popoy as someone who adapts to the changing political landscape without losing his revolutionary commitment.

 

He cited as an example that Lagman popularized the slogan ‘Rebolusyon Hindi Eleksyon’ in anticipation of the transition of power from Cory Aquino to Fidel Ramos during the 1992 elections, as well as the ‘Resign All’ call during the anti-Erap struggle, as he deemed that a Gloria Arroyo takeover of power won’t change anything, which proved prescient.

 

At the height of Edsa Dos people power, Lagman’s group pushed for the idea of having a caretaker government to be headed then by Chief Justice Hilario Davide, while other left groups supported Gloria Arroyo.

 

“Hindi katanggap-tanggap na ang panibagong people power ay magbunga lang ng isang Gloria. Dahil para lang nating pinalitan ang bigote ni Erap ng nunal ni Gloria,” Magtubo recalled Ka Popoy saying these words in disgust over the dire prospect of a simple regime change instead of the possibility of system change.

 

On February 6, 2001, he was shot dead while he was in the thick of preparations for the launching of Partido Manggagawa (PM). PM was founded by working class leaders on February 12, 2001, the same day Ka Popoy was laid to rest through a massive funeral march from UP to Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina.

 

“Kung nabubuhay lang si Ka Popoy ngayon, malamang ibabalik niya ulit ang kanyang naunang paninindigan noon laban sa charter change na ‘Baguhin ang Labor Code, Hindi ang Konstitusyon,’” Magtubo explained. At that time, labor groups were pushing for ‘CBA ng Uri’ as they find in the Labor Code many provisions that prohibit the free exercise of labor rights, including the freedom to organize and to strike as provided under the Constitution.

 

Today PM pursues a similar line, “Chicha hindi Chacha”, as it finds the motives behind the new push for charter change remain to be the same—dynastic lust for power and service to foreign capital—that runs counter to workers’ most urgent concerns on high prices, low wages, unemployment, and other demands for economic relief.

 

Members of PM vowed to continue seeking justice for Ka Popoy while pursuing what they believe is his legacy as a working-class hero—the struggle for the emancipation of the working class.

06 February 2024

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition Urges Gov't to Take Bold Steps to Address Workers' Issues

Photo from PhilStar

The largest labor coalition in the country is calling on the Marcos administration to take concrete actions to address the issues and concerns of workers, as the country is among the 24 shortlisted countries for examination during the upcoming International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva in June. This comes as the Philippines marks its 75th year of membership in the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition highlights that the Philippines is included in the long list of ILO Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) due to 69 reported killings of trade union leaders and organizers, and about 400 other violations of Convention 87.

Nagkaisa holds that the lack of representation from workers and employers in the current Executive Order 23 (EO23) signed by President Bongbong Marcos also contributed to the Philippines' inclusion in the list.

While it is a positive step forward, the current EO23 fails to address the significant problem that workers face in exercising their freedom to form unions or associations. To address this issue, the coalition proposes its amendments to transform it into a tripartite commission, consisting of representatives from the government and representatives from workers’ and employers’ groups in accordance with the principle of "tripartism and social dialogue" of ILO Convention 144 and the principles of "shared responsibility" and "participation in decision-making' under the Constitution and the Labor Code. This body would serve as the primary mechanism for addressing worker issues and seeking justice for the countless victims of violations of Freedom of Association (FOA) and Trade Union (TU) rights.

Trade unions heard Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma on his call to proposed solutions or positive actions. Thus, Nagkaisa urges him to schedule a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for trade union leaders to present personally the proposed amendments to the EO and other suggestions in order to improve the situation of workers and hold those accountable for violations of FOA and TU rights.

The coalition emphasizes that unless the government takes substantial steps to demonstrate its intention to heed the recommendations of the ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) beyond the issuance of  EO23, the country will undoubtedly face scrutiny by the ILO.

It is time for the government to act and demonstrate its dedication to upholding the principles of decent work and social justice for all. 

PRESS RELEASE
May 7, 2023
Nagkaisa

PM calls on Congress to regulate contractualization schemes

Press Release
December 8, 2010

In the wake of the overwhelming vote for a strike by members of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA), the militant Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called on the House Labor Committee (LaborCom) to legislate restrictions on various contractualization schemes that have become widespread business practice. “Congress should read the writing on the wall. Contractualization is worsening the conditions of workers and is provoking labor unrest. It is high time to strictly regulate this pernicious practice that is subverting Constitutionally-guaranteed rights to security of tenure and freedom of self-organization,” stated Renato Magtubo, PM chair.

PALEA members voted decisively in favor of a strike in balloting that started yesterday morning and ended at midnight. The LaborCom held a hearing this afternoon at the Batasang Pambansa on the various pending bills on security of tenure that was attended by labor leaders including officers of PALEA and PM. Later at 6:30 pm hundreds of PM and PALEA members and supporters trooped to the UP Diliman Film Center for the film screening of the indie movie “Endo” about the life of a temporary worker.

PM is advocating that contractual work only be allowed for seasonal work and project-based employment. Magtubo explained that “Contractual employment must be prohibited if the work is already done by regular workers, or in the words of the Labor Code, if the work is necessary and desirable to the business of the company. At present, more and more contractual workers are displacing regular employees and doing the same work but for cheaper wages, less benefits, worse conditions and without the protection of a union. The Philippines is becoming a nation of contractuals.”

“We further call on PNoy to make a policy statement by declaring the security of tenure bills as priority legislation and make a model out of the PAL case by striking a settlement that meets the demands of PALEA for job security,” Magtubo asserted.

“The real aim of outsourcing and subcontracting is not efficiency and productivity. Its hidden agenda is to lessen labor costs and compete on the basis of cheap labor. The ulterior motive of contractualization is go around the protection for workers presently provided in the Labor Code such as the minimum wage, social security, employee benefits, separation pay and the freedom to have a voice and representation in the workplace through a union,” Magtubo argued.

The labor group also opposed the lobby of employers groups calling for more liberal policy on outsourcing and less restriction on termination of workers. Magtubo claimed that “Liberalization of outsourcing, subcontracting and termination will lead to the further oppression and destitution of workers. It will accelerate the race to the bottom in wages and working conditions that contractualization is fostering. Just as an example employers are now turning to manpower agencies masquerading as labor cooperatives in order to pay below minimum wages through the fiction of dividends.”

“Congress is mandated to enact laws that operationalize the mandate of the Constitution. The elegant phrases of the Constitution providing for protection to workers cannot be dead letters through inaction by solons. We ask them to expedite the passage of the pending bills,” Magtubo insisted.