PRESS RELEASE
30 April 2009
Labor Day actions begin rolling today with the “Lakbayan para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago” spearheaded by the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) started a daybreak march from Bacoor Cavite.
PM chair Renato Magtubo said his group’s Lakbayan brings the call for labor protection and social justice and is part of their direct actions in countering the GMA administration’s move to change the constitution.
“What we demand is a complete reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies, NOT a run for Charter-Change to perpetuate Gloria Arroyo in power and create a system of power unlimited,” said Magtubo in a statement sent to media.
He added that it is not Jun Lozada but Gloria and those who let this country down by promoting these policies, the politicians and scammers who robbed the nation’s coffer and the capitalists who use the crisis to further abuse workers, who deserve a jail term.
PM is also coordinating with other labor groups in preparing for a joint march to Mendiola tomorrow. The labor leader said several labor, urban poor and peasant groups have agreed to have a common action on Labor Day for the defense of workers’ jobs and the poor’s right to decent living. He added that a Church Labor Conference was also formed early this week that paved the way for a closer cooperation between organized labor and the church on the campaign for labor protection.
Spearheading the Lakbayan (south contingent) are at least 1,000 displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite, Las Pinas and Paranaque. The north contingent from Rizal, Bulacan and Caloocan is marching from Edsa-Crossing down to Makati. The Lakbayan will first proceed to the Housing and Urban Development and Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to bring the call for moratorium on demolitions and evictions to housing officials. After a dialogue with HUDCC, the Lakbayan will pass by the MPD headquarters to show support to whistle –blower Jun Lozada, before proceeding to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Mass for workers
From DOLE, the Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at the Malate Church. Together with the Roman Catholic Church Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns (AMLC), a “Misa para sa Manggagawa” will be held in the morning of May 1st, to be officiated by Bishop Teodoro Bacani.
After the mass, the Lakbayan will proceed to Liwasang Bonifacio to merge with other groups under a loose alliance called Alyansa ng Manggagawa, Magsasaka at Maralita para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago, or AM3 in short More than 10,000 workers, urban poor and peasants are expected to participate in this unified action.
Other regions
Simultaneous actions will also be held in other regions. In Cebu, displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers-sponsored rally to be held at Plaza Independencia. They will also hold rally in front of DOLE-Cebu where they will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest of the inability of Labor officials to protect workers in the region. After the rally at DOLE, the protesters will march to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity for a rally against the economic crisis.
In Negros, some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental will hold a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice. Meanwhile, a caravan of a hundred vehicles will tour around Iloilo City before joining a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay
In Davao City, some 200 PM members will hold a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts. Another forum on economic crisis will be held in General Santos and Dipolog City.
In Iligan, PM and Sanlakas will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations (FDLO) in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Iligan City Freedom Park. This will be joined by other multisectoral groups as well under the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace (CSO-FP).
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Lakbayan para sa Araw ng Manggagawa magsisimula bukas
Press Release
April 29, 2009
Manggagawa nanawagan na ikulong mga kapitalistang abusado kaysa si Jun Lozada
Magsisimula bukas ang paggunita sa Araw ng Manggagawa sa pamamagitan ng isang Lakbayan ng mga manggagawang natanggal sa trabaho at mga maralitang tagalungsod. Ang panawagan ng mga kalahok sa Lakbayan ay “Proteksyon sa manggagawa at maralita, Pagbabago sa ekonomiya at lipunan.”
“Sa halip na si Jun Lozada, mga kapitalistang abusado ang dapat ikulong. Sinasamantala ng maraming kapitalista ang krisis para ibagsak ang proteksyon sa paggawa at wasakin ang mga karapatan ng manggagawa. Hindi papayag ang mga manggagawa na pasanin ang bigat ng krisis na likha ng mga kapitalista,” ani Renato Magtubo, tagapangulo ng Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).
Mga 1,000 manggagawa at maralita mula sa Calabarzon ang magkikita ng 6:30 n.u. sa Zapote sa boundary ng Las Pinas at Bacoor bilang pagsisimula ng Lakbayan. Magtatagpo sila ng mga lalahok sa Lakbayan mula sa NCR at Bulacan bandang tanghali sa opisina ng HUDCC upang makipag-dialogue sa kahilingang sa moratorium sa demolisyon. Mula doon ay magmamartsa sila tungong opisina ng DOLE para sa dialogue kay Sec. Marianito Roque hinggil sa panawagang ayuda sa mga manggagawa.
“Ang kahilingan para sa proteksyon sa manggagawa at maralita ay unang hakbang lang sa pagtugon sa krisis. Ang susunod na hakbang ay pagbaliktad sa mga patakaran na nagpalala sa krisis. Ito ay ang liberalisasyon, deregulasyon at pribatisasyon na dahilan ng pagguho ng industriya at agrikultura, at pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin,” dagdag ni Magtubo.
Magdadala ang mga kalahok sa Lakbayan ng mga payong na may nakasulat na “Proteksyon laban sa bagyong pang-ekonomiya.” Nakasulat din ang iba’t ibang konkretong kahilingan tulad ng unemployment insurance, tax refund, universal health care, reporma sa employment program at moratorium sa demolisyon. Bukod sa PM, sasama sa Lakbayan ang grupong Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino, Zone One Tondo Organization, Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite, United Cavite Workers Association at Samahan ng Mamamayan ng Calabarzon.
Tinawag ng PM na “bandaid solution” ang planong job fair ng gobyerno sa May 1. “Hindi job mismatch ang problema at hindi job fair ang solusyon sa kawalang-trabaho. Ang ugat ng unemployment sa bansa ay economy mismatch o ang maling patakarang pang-ekonomiya na idinikta ng IMF-WB at WTO sa Pilipinas. Bunga ng globalisasyon, nawasak ang lokal na ekonomiya kaya’t walang disenteng trabaho para sa milyun-milyong Pilipino kasama na ang mga kabataang bagong graduate,” paliwanag ni Magtubo.
April 29, 2009
Manggagawa nanawagan na ikulong mga kapitalistang abusado kaysa si Jun Lozada
Magsisimula bukas ang paggunita sa Araw ng Manggagawa sa pamamagitan ng isang Lakbayan ng mga manggagawang natanggal sa trabaho at mga maralitang tagalungsod. Ang panawagan ng mga kalahok sa Lakbayan ay “Proteksyon sa manggagawa at maralita, Pagbabago sa ekonomiya at lipunan.”
“Sa halip na si Jun Lozada, mga kapitalistang abusado ang dapat ikulong. Sinasamantala ng maraming kapitalista ang krisis para ibagsak ang proteksyon sa paggawa at wasakin ang mga karapatan ng manggagawa. Hindi papayag ang mga manggagawa na pasanin ang bigat ng krisis na likha ng mga kapitalista,” ani Renato Magtubo, tagapangulo ng Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).
Mga 1,000 manggagawa at maralita mula sa Calabarzon ang magkikita ng 6:30 n.u. sa Zapote sa boundary ng Las Pinas at Bacoor bilang pagsisimula ng Lakbayan. Magtatagpo sila ng mga lalahok sa Lakbayan mula sa NCR at Bulacan bandang tanghali sa opisina ng HUDCC upang makipag-dialogue sa kahilingang sa moratorium sa demolisyon. Mula doon ay magmamartsa sila tungong opisina ng DOLE para sa dialogue kay Sec. Marianito Roque hinggil sa panawagang ayuda sa mga manggagawa.
“Ang kahilingan para sa proteksyon sa manggagawa at maralita ay unang hakbang lang sa pagtugon sa krisis. Ang susunod na hakbang ay pagbaliktad sa mga patakaran na nagpalala sa krisis. Ito ay ang liberalisasyon, deregulasyon at pribatisasyon na dahilan ng pagguho ng industriya at agrikultura, at pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin,” dagdag ni Magtubo.
Magdadala ang mga kalahok sa Lakbayan ng mga payong na may nakasulat na “Proteksyon laban sa bagyong pang-ekonomiya.” Nakasulat din ang iba’t ibang konkretong kahilingan tulad ng unemployment insurance, tax refund, universal health care, reporma sa employment program at moratorium sa demolisyon. Bukod sa PM, sasama sa Lakbayan ang grupong Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino, Zone One Tondo Organization, Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite, United Cavite Workers Association at Samahan ng Mamamayan ng Calabarzon.
Tinawag ng PM na “bandaid solution” ang planong job fair ng gobyerno sa May 1. “Hindi job mismatch ang problema at hindi job fair ang solusyon sa kawalang-trabaho. Ang ugat ng unemployment sa bansa ay economy mismatch o ang maling patakarang pang-ekonomiya na idinikta ng IMF-WB at WTO sa Pilipinas. Bunga ng globalisasyon, nawasak ang lokal na ekonomiya kaya’t walang disenteng trabaho para sa milyun-milyong Pilipino kasama na ang mga kabataang bagong graduate,” paliwanag ni Magtubo.
Policy-change not charter-change highlights militants’ call in their Labor Day actions
PRESS RELEASE
29 April 2009
Tomorrow’s “Lakbayan para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago” spearheaded by the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) would serve as kick-off in a series of Labor Day actions to be held in Metro Manila and other major cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.
This was announced by PM chair Renato Magtubo who is coordinating with other labor groups in the preparation for a joint march to Mendiola on Labor Day. Magtubo said several labor, urban poor and peasant groups have agreed to have a common action on Labor Day for the defense of workers’ jobs and the poor’s right to decent living. He added that a Church Labor Conference was also formed the other day which paved the way for a closer cooperation between organized labor and the church on the campaign for labor protection.
“What we demand is a complete reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies, NOT a run for Charter-Change to perpetuate Gloria Arroyo in power and create a system of power unlimited,” said Magtubo in a statement sent to media.
Lakbayan
By daybreak tomorrow, displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite and Laguna will be joined by other workers and poor from Bulacan and the NCR in a Lakbayan that will start from Bacoor Cavite. The Lakbayan will first proceed to the Housing and Urban Development and Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to bring the call for moratorium on demolitions and evictions to housing officials, and then to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for a dialogue.
From DOLE, the more than 1,000 Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at Malate Church. Together with the Roman Catholic Church Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns (AMLC), a “Misa para sa Manggagawa” will be held in the morning of May 1st, to be officiated by Bishop Teodoro Bacani.
After the mass, the Lakbayan will proceed to Liwasang Bonifacio to merge with other groups under a loose alliance called Alyansa ng Manggagawa, Magsasaka at Maralita para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago. Some 10,000 workers, urban poor and peasants are expected to participate in this unified action.
Other regions
Simultaneous actions will also be held in other regions. In Cebu, displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers-sponsored rally to be held at Plaza Independencia. They will also hold rally in front of DOLE-Cebu where they will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest of the inability of Labor officials to protect workers in the region. After the rally at DOLE, the protesters will march to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity for a rally against the economic crisis.
In Negros, some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental will hold a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice. Meanwhile, a caravan of a hundred vehicles will tour around Iloilo City before joining a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay
In Davao City, some 200 PM members will hold a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts. Another forum on economic crisis will be held in General Santos and Dipolog City.
In Iligan, PM and Sanlakas will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations (FDLO) in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Iligan City Freedom Park. This will be joined by other multisectoral groups as well under the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace (CSO-FP).
29 April 2009
Tomorrow’s “Lakbayan para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago” spearheaded by the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) would serve as kick-off in a series of Labor Day actions to be held in Metro Manila and other major cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.
This was announced by PM chair Renato Magtubo who is coordinating with other labor groups in the preparation for a joint march to Mendiola on Labor Day. Magtubo said several labor, urban poor and peasant groups have agreed to have a common action on Labor Day for the defense of workers’ jobs and the poor’s right to decent living. He added that a Church Labor Conference was also formed the other day which paved the way for a closer cooperation between organized labor and the church on the campaign for labor protection.
“What we demand is a complete reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies, NOT a run for Charter-Change to perpetuate Gloria Arroyo in power and create a system of power unlimited,” said Magtubo in a statement sent to media.
Lakbayan
By daybreak tomorrow, displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite and Laguna will be joined by other workers and poor from Bulacan and the NCR in a Lakbayan that will start from Bacoor Cavite. The Lakbayan will first proceed to the Housing and Urban Development and Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to bring the call for moratorium on demolitions and evictions to housing officials, and then to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for a dialogue.
From DOLE, the more than 1,000 Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at Malate Church. Together with the Roman Catholic Church Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns (AMLC), a “Misa para sa Manggagawa” will be held in the morning of May 1st, to be officiated by Bishop Teodoro Bacani.
After the mass, the Lakbayan will proceed to Liwasang Bonifacio to merge with other groups under a loose alliance called Alyansa ng Manggagawa, Magsasaka at Maralita para sa Proteksyon at Pagbabago. Some 10,000 workers, urban poor and peasants are expected to participate in this unified action.
Other regions
Simultaneous actions will also be held in other regions. In Cebu, displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers-sponsored rally to be held at Plaza Independencia. They will also hold rally in front of DOLE-Cebu where they will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest of the inability of Labor officials to protect workers in the region. After the rally at DOLE, the protesters will march to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity for a rally against the economic crisis.
In Negros, some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental will hold a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice. Meanwhile, a caravan of a hundred vehicles will tour around Iloilo City before joining a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay
In Davao City, some 200 PM members will hold a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts. Another forum on economic crisis will be held in General Santos and Dipolog City.
In Iligan, PM and Sanlakas will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations (FDLO) in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Iligan City Freedom Park. This will be joined by other multisectoral groups as well under the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace (CSO-FP).
Monday, April 27, 2009
Nationwide May 1 Activities
Answer to the Crisis: Bailout Workers, Reverse Policies
Calabarzon and NCR Lakbayan:
Displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite and Laguna to join other workers and poor from Bulacan and NCR in a Lakbayan that will pass by HUDCC and DOLE for a dialogue. The more than 1,000 Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at Malate Church. The morning of May 1st, a mass will be celebrated at Malate Church. The Lakbayan will end by merging with the Labor Unity rally at Liwasang Bonifacio at 11 a.m.
Cebu:
Displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the rally by PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers. 8 a.m. assembly at Plaza Independencia, Cebu City then rally in front of DOLE where the rallyists will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest at the inability of Labor officials to protect workers. March to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity rally against the economic crisis.
Bacolod:
Some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental to have a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice
Iloilo:
Caravan of a hundred vehicles around Iloilo City then a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay
Davao:
Some 200 workers and poor to have a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts.
General Santos City:
Rally by some 200 workers and poor
Iligan:
PM will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Freedom Park from 8 a.m. to noon. In the afternoon, the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace to spearhead a series of activities including a concert at the Freedom Park to commemorate Labor Day
Dipolog:
Forum on the economic crisis to be sponsored by Church, NGO’s and PO’s including PM
Calabarzon and NCR Lakbayan:
Displaced workers and urban poor from Cavite and Laguna to join other workers and poor from Bulacan and NCR in a Lakbayan that will pass by HUDCC and DOLE for a dialogue. The more than 1,000 Lakbayan participants will stay overnight at Malate Church. The morning of May 1st, a mass will be celebrated at Malate Church. The Lakbayan will end by merging with the Labor Unity rally at Liwasang Bonifacio at 11 a.m.
Cebu:
Displaced employees and MEPZ workers to join 1,000 union members in the rally by PM and the Solidarity of Cebu Workers. 8 a.m. assembly at Plaza Independencia, Cebu City then rally in front of DOLE where the rallyists will burn a copy of the Labor Code in protest at the inability of Labor officials to protect workers. March to downtown Colon to merge with the Cebu Labor Coalition for Labor Unity rally against the economic crisis.
Bacolod:
Some 1,000 industrial and farm workers from Bacolod City and the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental to have a march-rally at the Fountain of Justice
Iloilo:
Caravan of a hundred vehicles around Iloilo City then a mobilization by hundreds of workers and poor at the Plaza Letagay
Davao:
Some 200 workers and poor to have a forum then march by 5 p.m. along Reyes, San Pedro and Magallanes Sts.
General Santos City:
Rally by some 200 workers and poor
Iligan:
PM will join the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations in a march from the St. Michael's Cathedral to the Freedom Park from 8 a.m. to noon. In the afternoon, the May Day 2009 Committee of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace to spearhead a series of activities including a concert at the Freedom Park to commemorate Labor Day
Dipolog:
Forum on the economic crisis to be sponsored by Church, NGO’s and PO’s including PM
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Economy mismatch not job mismatch is the cause of unemployment
Press Statement
April 26, 2009
Renato Magtubo
Chairperson
The oft-repeated line by government and business that job mismatch is the cause of unemployment is a deliberate myth. The truth is that economy mismatch—the failed development model of globalization imposed upon the Philippine economy—is at the root of job losses and joblessness in the country.
Since the start of trade liberalization in the 1980’s and the acceleration of deregulation and privatization in the 1990’s, factories and enterprises have closed shop by an average of 2,000 a year and hundreds of thousands of workers have loss their jobs annually. Furthermore, the positive GNP rates—due principally to OFW remittances—is jobless growth.
The only reason unemployment figures have remained low is through the manipulation of data and promotion of OFW deployment. Meanwhile underemployment has ballooned as former workers and farmers shift to the informal economy of insecure jobs, low pay, no benefits and grave working conditions.
The solution to economy mismatch is reorientation away from export promotion and overseas employment towards strengthening the domestic economy by building up local industry and agriculture that will provide decent work to millions of Filipinos.
Job mismatch is a problem but a secondary one that however cannot be solved through job fairs and retraining programs. The answer to job mismatch is economic planning. It means making the education system serve the needs of development and thus requires a stop to deregulation of education.
National planning must be based on the needs of the domestic economy not the demands of the overseas job market. It is a loss of social capital to invest in training Filipinos so they can serve the economic development of other countries.
April 26, 2009
Renato Magtubo
Chairperson
The oft-repeated line by government and business that job mismatch is the cause of unemployment is a deliberate myth. The truth is that economy mismatch—the failed development model of globalization imposed upon the Philippine economy—is at the root of job losses and joblessness in the country.
Since the start of trade liberalization in the 1980’s and the acceleration of deregulation and privatization in the 1990’s, factories and enterprises have closed shop by an average of 2,000 a year and hundreds of thousands of workers have loss their jobs annually. Furthermore, the positive GNP rates—due principally to OFW remittances—is jobless growth.
The only reason unemployment figures have remained low is through the manipulation of data and promotion of OFW deployment. Meanwhile underemployment has ballooned as former workers and farmers shift to the informal economy of insecure jobs, low pay, no benefits and grave working conditions.
The solution to economy mismatch is reorientation away from export promotion and overseas employment towards strengthening the domestic economy by building up local industry and agriculture that will provide decent work to millions of Filipinos.
Job mismatch is a problem but a secondary one that however cannot be solved through job fairs and retraining programs. The answer to job mismatch is economic planning. It means making the education system serve the needs of development and thus requires a stop to deregulation of education.
National planning must be based on the needs of the domestic economy not the demands of the overseas job market. It is a loss of social capital to invest in training Filipinos so they can serve the economic development of other countries.
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