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Workers protest PNoy’s new labor laws

April 14, 2013 in Cordillera, employment

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Anakpawis Cordillera Regional Coordinator Micheal Cabangon said that the signing of President Benigno Aquino III of two new labor laws will not benefit the Filipino workers and their families at all.

On March 22, the president signed into law the Act Strengthening Tripartism. The law declared tripartism in labor relations as a state policy where employers and workers will be part of policy-making bodies of the government. The said law mandates the establishment of a National tripartite Industrial Peace Council (NTIPC). The body will be headed by the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Read the rest of this entry →

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Crossroads: Retrenchment (again) at the mines

March 17, 2013 in columns, Cordillera, employment, Featured, mining, opinion

By MARY LOU MARIGZA
www.nordis.net

The problem of contractualization has plagued labor since globalization was imposed as a capitalist policy and has been protested by labor due to the inhuman conditions workers are subjected to. In contractualization, the centuries of struggle of the working class is wiped out favoring job insecurity, longer working hours, no benefits, no collective bargaining and worst of all, no increase in daily wages.

The reason the minimum wage is legislated was because of the practice of capitalists in olden times to pay slave wages for an 8 hour work day. Labor fought for decent wages but the greedy capitalists insisted on minimum wage – meaning a sum of money enough for a wage earner to come back the next day to sweat and bleed for the profits of the greedy greedy capitalists.

I would like to emphasize greedy greeedyyy because capital begets capital and no capitalist becomes rich and can continue his/her business without squeezing blood from the workers and getting the cheapest bargain for materials and inputs for maximum profit. That is the character of capital, you amass it at the expense of your labourers. You amass it at the expense of nature and the environment. You amass it in order to continue your profit making, in order to continue your business.

And luckily the capitalist can save his soul because of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Not only that, the capitalist can have his picture plastered all over media outlets giving largesse for charity. What a very kind man. And they get awarded by the government for being such wonderful entrepreneurs and bless their pockets for the next election campaign. Blood Suckers!

As I was about to start writing my column for this week, rumors were flying fast that around 500 regular workers of Philex are going to be retrenched prior to the opening again of operations for the closed company. You may recall dear readers that Philex was slapped with more than a billion peso fine for the release of about 20 million mine tailings or mine waste into the Balog creek and Agno river. Now the MGB has allowed Philex to operate again after paying the fine even without the assurance that its tailings pond will not release more poison into Agno or Pangasinan waters.

That is such a big number of regular workers who will be laid off from work! To our readers, this is not a new thing in the mining industry. For years now, rich and large scale mining companies have been laying off workers to save on costs.

It had been very easy for large scale companies to remove workers from work and yet still maintain that they are responsible and pro-environment companies. This is the effect of contractualization that Kilusang Mayo Uno and the militant unions have been opposing all along. This is the “baddest” news to hit Benguet at a time when prices of gold-copper-iron and other minerals are so sooo high. This comes at a time when the promised economic upturn of the country is being touted as an accomplishment of the lamented Noynoying regime.

What is galling is that these are no ordinary workers but skilled, patient and enduring workers who have gone to the bowels of the Benguet mountains to produce riches for the foreign funded large scale mining companies! These are workers who are skilled and have endured all kinds of hardship, underground heat, exploitative, repressive conditions, uncertainty, unsafety under the mountains. These are now getting included in the legions of unemployed. How will their families eat, knowing full well they have not been having decent meals since the closure of Philex in September when the tailing pond 3 drained its mine tailings into Agno river? Nice excuse, force majeure!

These are not ordinary blue collar or industrial workers. These are skilled mine workers who cannot simply turn into tricycle drivers, itinerant vendors, carpenters or what have you. These are skilled workers put to better use building the infrastructure for national industrialization. These are skilled workers who have labored to bring out the ores from the earth for gains of capitalists abroad. These are the workers that the mining companies have tried time and again to refuse their proper due and prevented from organizing for better working conditions.

This is one of the reasons we have campaigned against large scale mining that does not propel the need for national industrialization and agricultural self-sufficiency. It is one reason we have opposed capitalism since it squeezes dry the creative and potential energy of people to build cities and environments attuned to the needs of the community. The minerals of the Philippines have hardly benefited the industries of the country nor is it pushing the agricultural sector to create more grains and fruits for the table to tide us until the next planting season. No, our minerals are feeding the crushers and dryers of foreign shores for foreign gain.

Contractualization has made it very easy for large scale mining companies to retrench skilled regular workers to maximize profits. The history of Benguet is marked with these retrenchments, not of one or two but of hundreds in the mining sector – Benguet Corp, Lepanto, Philex – it was easy to lay off so many workers. Booming mining towns reduced to mechanical depots and carbon-in-pulp operations.

Would we rather that our skilled workers go out of the country and serve foreign masters than gaining from their skills and labor in the country? We are losing our best laborers when we could build upon our national industries and start the goal to “make this nation great again”. We were once Asia’s rising economy. That remains a dream in the age of retrenchment and contractualization. And a nightmare we continue to live by in the age of unabated large scale mining. # nordis.net

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Labor Watch: The greatest gift of all

December 16, 2012 in columns, employment, Featured, opinion

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

“My great panacea for making society at once better and more enjoyable would be to cultivate greater sincerity.” — Frances Power Cobbe

The countdown to Christmas day is toward its end. In Philippine congress, it is the most productive season before the elections for the coming year. Because after the New Year’s day, the congressmen and lawmakers seeking reelection just like any other candidate will be busy with the national and local campaigns.

According to the Social Weather Station survey for the third quarter of this year, the rate of hunger in the Philippines increased to 21 percent. And most of the Filipinos affected are the workers and their families. The International Labor organization’s Global Wage Report 2012/13 cites that the wage of the Filipino workers are much smaller compared to that of other countries. It was also indicated that one third of the Filipino workers live below the $2-a-day poverty line of the world.

More than a decade ago, the workers hoped that their wages will be raised to true living standards through the demand for a P125 across the board nationwide wage increase. It was proposed in congress by then Bayan Muna Representative and workers’ hero Crispin Beltran. For more than a decade the wage hike bill lay pending and bypassed in a house full of landlords and large compradors reflecting the need for more sincere lawmakers who really care for the working class. It was not even prioritized by Presidents Erap, GMA and now Pnoy who preferred to sign laws that inflict more suffering on the people.

Even the past chairpersons and the present one of the House Committee on Labor and Employment refused to speed up the passage of P125 wage hike bill.

This coming Christmas, the congressmen and lawmakers of the Philippines can give the impoverished Filipino workers a worthy gift, that is the approval of the P125 wage increase. They should not wait for the campaign period so that they can again promise the Filipinos especially the workers that. Sincerity will not be visible in election campaigns. A noble action is to help the Filipinos celebrate the holidays with a livable wage. # nordis.net

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Labor Watch: Unemployed growing

November 25, 2012 in columns, Cordillera, employment, Featured, opinion

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

“From a government that merely conjures economic growth statistics that our people know to be unreal to a government that prioritizes job that empower people and provide them with opportunities to rise above poverty”— Aquino government’s 2016 vision

Basing it on the reports of the National Statistics Office and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of the Cordillera Region, the number of the unemployed and the impoverished families relatively rises. The labor agency showed that the 4.7 % unemployment rate last year is at 4.9% now. Employment rate slips down to 95.1% from 95.3% or 1,132,000 to 1,129,000. Underemployed workers or those who have jobs but with work hours lesser than the standard eight hours thus the number of those looking for additional sources of income also increased in the Cordillera.

Sometimes, the government statistics on employed people are not easy to depend on as NSO defines employed as: “Those who do any work even for one hour during the reference period (one week before the survey) for pay or profit, or work without pay on the farm or business enterprise operated by a member of the same household related by blood, marriage or adoption…” (source:www.census.gov.ph/content/technical-notes-labor-force-survey-lfs)

When the president of the yellow crowd speaks on his so-called programs of fighting poverty, he does it in a way that seems they are really helping a lot of impoverished workers and Filipinos. Throughout the more than two years of stay in the palace, he and his “alalays” readily lambast critics sometimes with childish remarks.

This government just like the past administrations rely on foreign investors to come here, exploit the resources including the people. These companies give jobs, yes but temporary ones, collaborates with the administration to promote contractualization, privatize government owned and operated companies, and services that further squeeze the workers while paying them low wages and curtail their labor rights. This president even approved the two-tiered wage system that eventually snatched the triumphs of the workers’ struggle for their rightful wages and benefits.

The government also boasts of its 4Ps and its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) claiming to help poor families. The data shows poverty has not been reduced since the implementation of the said programs. It worsens it as it promotes the culture of dole-out dependency instead of allowing the people job opportunities.

Eradication of poverty is not simply words coming out of anyone’s mouth, it is hard to be realized but it is not impossible to materialize. There has to be a genuinely sincere government with the will to implement a real program to address the true issues of its people and not just go puffing cigarettes in Malacañang.# nordis.net

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Unemployment increases in Cordillera

November 11, 2012 in Cordillera, employment

By DELIA BAGNI
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — According to the reports of the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) during the closing ceremonies of the 23rd National Statistics Month held at the Department of Social Welfare and Development Cottage on November 5, the number of the unemployed as well as poor families increased in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

DOLE reported an estimated 4.9% unemployment rate this year from 4.7% last year. While employment rate went down to 95.1% from 95.3% last year. There is also a 0.26% decrease in the region’s labor force participation this 2012. From 1,132,000 employed last year it has decreased to 1,129,00 this year.

The report added that the number of underemployed people who seek additional hours of work rose to 21.3% from 13.5% last 2011.

NSO and DOLE defined unemployment as a state wherein all person who are 15 years old and above as are reported as without work and/or seeking work. Meanwhile, underemployement includes employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present jobs or additional job or to have a new jobs with longer working hours for additional pay.

Based from the presentation of the Social Protection and Development Report (SPDR), unemployment and underemployment has led to poverty incidence. Leading causes of unemployment and underemployment are contractual types of employment, part time jobs and on the job trainings.

Poor families in the region also increased in the year 2009 which recorded 346,193. Magnitude of poor families in Abra recorded 15,182 in 2009 from 14,638 of 2006, Apayao from 7,804 (2006) to 8,463 (2009), Benguet from 4,776 to 5,992, Ifugao from 6,493 to 7,716 while Kalinga and Mountain Province decreased from 11,750 to 7,314 and 10,885 to 10,280 respectively.

Magnitude of poor family/individuals refers to the number of of families/individuals whose annual per capita income fall below the annual per capita poverty threshold.

National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Cordillera head, Benjamin Navaro said that concerned agencies have implemented programs to address the needs of the poor such as the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program, Community Health Teams, Expanded Program on Immunization and Extended Garantisadong Pambata in terms of health. He added that people are assured that agencies will deliver quality statistics regarding economic status of the country. # nordis.net

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Labor Watch: 15 years, justice still awaits

November 11, 2012 in columns, employment, Featured, Ilocos, opinion, workers

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

And it also become clear that these conditions of inequality and historical injustice have given rise to a feeling of hate in the world – a deeply felt hate that cannot easily be overcome with a few good words — Ulrich Beck

On November 2, more than 50 members of the Times Employees Union-National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (TEU-NAFLU-KMU) marched the streets of Vigan City, Ilocos Sur to tell the public about their struggle for labor and other democratic rights. From there, they proceeded to the highway leading to the National Capital Region particularly to Quezon City where the main office of the National Labor Relations and Commission-Department of labor and Employment (NLRC-DOLE) is located.

They were marching some 400 kilometers, to demonstrate the seriousness of their demands that for the past 15 years they have struggled to obtain – justice. They will march to demand NLRC to immediately implement the Supreme Court ruling in their favor that was scheduled for implementation on October 29 to 30. These workers of the Times Transportation Company Inc. were awarded P97 million in back wages, benefits among others by the Supreme Court.

It was in 1997 when they formed their union and registered it. Just like in other workplaces where the company bosses are allergic to unions, the management tried to contest the legitimacy of the registration of their union, and demand that it will be canceled.

The workers went on strike. The labor secretary that time assumed jurisdiction quashing the efforts of the workers to force the company to give to their demands of recognition. Then the company fired its workers especially those who were active in the union. The workers set out another strike then again the labor secretary declaring the workers action illegal.

The management sold its certificate of public convenience and its buses to another company to prevent the terminated workers from getting their monetary claims. They also bought off two of the union’s leaders.

Five years later, the labor arbiter that time issued a decision favoring the workers giving them right to monetary claims and the workers be reinstated. But the management exhausted all legal remedies in a bid to reverse the decision.

The Court of Appeals affirmed the earlier decision on 2004. Seven years have passed after the legal battles, no worker was given back their jobs or paid their money. For all the years that they fought, some of them had died, hoping that they be vindicated.

For 15 years that TEU members fought for their rights in the face of other challenges in life. After walking for miles, NLRC just denied their demand for the implementation of SC’s decision.

No such words can describe how agencies mandated to serve for the interests of the people who are paying taxes and making the production of the nation being instruments of the rich and the elite. # nordis.net

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Workers walk 400 km for justice

November 4, 2012 in employment, Featured, Ilocos, transport

By KYLE EDWARD FRANCISCO

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur — Times Employees Union (TEU), an affiliate of the National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAFLU-KMU), commenced its 400 kilometer march-caravan from here to the National Labor Relations Commission National Capital Region (NLRC-NCR) at 9:00 am on November 2 to press for the implementation of the final Supreme Court ruling rendered on December 16, 2009.

WALK FOR JUSTICE. Members of Times Employees Union from Vigan, Ilocos Sur embark on a 400 kilometers walk to the National Labor Relations Commission. They are pushing for the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling granting the workers P47 million in back wages, denied benefits. As of 1:00 PM November 3, the workers have reached Aringay, La Union. Photo courtesy of Sherwin de Vera

TEU said, the march is part of their 15 year struggle for the recognition and respect for workers’ rights and their union. It is also to further press their demand for the implementation of the final Supreme Court ruling which was scheduled for execution on October 29 and 30, 2012 but was prohibited by what union observers say was pressure from the company to further delay the execution. The union stands to claim P97 million in back wages, denied benefits and other financial matters related to the case.

Tempering the Union

In 1997, TEU was formed to demand for better working conditions and was subsequently able to acquire a certificate of union registration. Times Transit Inc, a transport company, in its effort to impede the budding consciousness of the workers for collective action, challenged the legitimacy of TEU and filed a petition for the cancellation of its registration, and dismissed members of TEU. It then also tried to form a union under its influence.

In response, TEU launched their first united action on March 3, 1997 by declaring a strike. Then Labor Secretary Leonardo Quisumbing, upon petition from Times, the company, assumed jurisdiction of the case, issued a return-to-work order on March 10, and referred the matter to the NLRC for compulsory arbitration.

On August 8, the same year, TEU filed a Notice of Strike citing the refusal of Times to face and sit-down with the representatives of the union for the negotiations of a collective-bargaining agreement. Another mediation proceeding was conducted. However, on September 16, Times sent notice of retrenchment to some of the workers identified with TEU effective in 30 days thereafter.

“On the basis of unfair labor practice by the Times management, we called for a strike vote on October 17, 1997, and immediately went into action with the support of our families and friends. “ recalled Ka Noel Susa, current Secretary of the union.

For participating on what Times considers as an illegal strike, 123 workers were terminated. Sec. Quisumbing issued the second return-to-work order on November 17, 1997 ending the strike. The terminated employees, however, were no longer admitted back to work.

Preempting possible monetary claims from the terminated workers, Santiago Rondaris, the owner of Times, sold the company’s Certificate of Public Convenience and a number of its buses to Mencorp Transport System, Inc. (Mencorp), who acquired the said Certificate on December 12, 1997.

Pol Nana, Board of Director of TEU recollected that, “Times and Mencorp mustered all their resources and were, in fact, successful in buying-out two of our key leaders while our cases were in progress.” He even recounted the time when their sell-out union president told them to find their own lawyer because the president is pursuing other remedies on the issue.

It was after the series of sell-out by some of their officers and the lack of experience that TEU decided to seek the assistance of other labor groups. It was Ka Nori Arcaina, current TEU President, who was tasked by the union to go to the Manila and look for a labor center willing to assist them with their legal battle. This decision led them to the National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAFLU-KMU).

“What NAFLU-KMU gave us was more than we asked for, they did not only provide us with the necessary legal assistance and experience but also allowed us to appreciate the value of collective action; above all, it was this labor center who provided us with the correct principle of genuine, nationalist and militant unionism that guided us all throughout our struggle,” he added.

Long and winding road to victory

The first decision relevant to the case referred to NLRC for compulsory arbitration in March 1997 was rendered on May 21, 1998 declaring that the first union strike from March 3-12, 1997 as legal and the second strike illegal. The decision further noted that 23 workers were validly dismissed and the “Motion to Implead Mencorp Transport System, Inc. and/or Virginia Mendoza and/or Santiago Rondaris” is denied for lack of merit.

Both Times and TEU appealed the NLRC decision, which was upheld by the Court of Appeals (CA) on November 17, 2000. The motion for reconsideration by both parties was, likewise, denied.

Meanwhile, separate cases were filed by the retrenched workers, including non-TEU members for illegal dismissal, money claims, and unfair labor practices against Times before the Regional Arbitration Branch in San Fernando City, La Union which the management countered with a petition to dismiss. The case was ordered to be archived pending the resolution of the petition of Times to review the May 21, 1998 ruling.

The dismissed workers through the leadership of TEU and now assisted NAFLU-KMU withdrew their complaint and filed a new set of cases before the National Capital Region (NCR) Arbitration Branch adding Mencorp and the spouses Reynaldo and Virginia Mendoza. Times, claimed forum shopping and sought the dismissal of the case.

A decision was rendered by Labor Arbiter Renaldo Hernandez on January 31, 2002 declaring that actions made by Times management “constituted to the prohibited act of unfair labor practice” enshrined in the Labor Code, and the sale of the company was “simulated and/or effected in bad faith.” It also ordered the reinstatement of dismissed workers, payment of their back wages from the time they were illegally dismissed, and payment of moral and exemplary damages. It was a combined amount of P75,000 each and 5% for attorney’s attorney’s fees.” The total monetary claim of the workers amounted to P43,347,341.69.

Times, Mencorp and Spouses Mendoza utilized all available legal remedies and loopholes their lawyers could find to reverse the ruling and derail the implementation of NCR Arbitration Branch ruling. The initial victory was almost lost when on September 17, 2002, the NLRC ruled to remand the case back to the NCR Arbitration Branch. The NLRC decision was, however, set aside and reinstated the prior decision of Labor Arbiter Hernandez by the CA on January 30, 2004.

The case dragged on for another five years before the Supreme Court issued a ruling on December 16, 2009 with finality on denying all claims of Times, Mencorps and the Mendozas, and affirming the January 20, 2004 CA resolution.

So near, yet so far

Despite the final ruling by the highest court of the land, justice remains elusive for the members of TEU. After more than 10 years wait since the first decision was rendered in 2002, not a single worker was reinstated nor paid any substantial amount of their monetary claims.

TEU-NAFLU-KMU said, the NLRC actions in their case has exposed the inefficiency of the labor dispute settlement mechanism within the government. While a number of properties owned by Times, Mencorp and Spouses Mendoza have been levied by the NLRC-NCR Sheriff, actual execution to award the monetary claims have been very slow. Complicating matters was the recent filing of a “Petition to Inhibit” by Mencorp against Labor Arbiter Patricio Libo-on and the “Notice of Complaint ” was sent to Sheriff Ronnie Jalalain.

According to TEU, while they very much welcome the issuance of the 2nd Alias Writ of Execution by Arbiter Libo-on, they are very disappointed that despite the absence of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from the court, the said arbiter gave a verbal order to Sheriff Jalalain not to continue with the execution that was scheduled on October 29 and 30, 2012. They further expressed their fear that said officials may submit to the pressures being exerted by Mencorp and their connections; the inhibition of Arbiter Libo-on from the case will only prolong the execution of the decision and cause them more hardship.

In their statement, TEU lamented that several of its members have died, waiting in vain for the execution of the decision while many of them lost their homes and were forced to give up the education of their children because of the economic hardship they faced after their dismissal, long process for the final resolution of the case and now, the slow implementation of the decision.

Victory through militant mass movement

TEU workers did not only depend on the legal proceedings to win their case. They constantly studied the different courses provided for by NAFLU-KMU designed to sharpen their leadership and negotiation skills. Leaders ensured that democratic and collective leadership was practiced by constantly briefing the members on the development of the case and soliciting their opinions on future plans and actions. Organizing was extended to the family members of the workers to enlighten them of the hardship that they also have to bear during the course of the struggle for their rights.

Union members participated in sectoral and multi-sectoral mobilizations and other socio-economic issues both local and national. TEU was one of the founding members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Ilocos and other formations such as DUMP PPA! and Save Philippine Education Movement. They actively participated in the electoral campaigns from 2001 to the 2010 elections.

All these participations contributed to the consolidation of TEU making it effective at pursuing the case for 15 years against Times and Mencorp. The resolve and consolidation of the union are again being tested by the NLRC’s failure to push through with the execution of the decision last October 19 and 30. The union decided to give all they have and unanimously agreed to walk 400 kilometers from Vigan City to NLRC-NCR to demand what has been long due to them.

About 30 individuals composed of leaders, members of TEU-NAFLU-KMU in Metro Vigan, their families and supporters converged at the PUV Parking Station in Vigan City at 8:00 AM and marched along the main streets of Vigan City before taking to the National Highway going to Manila.

“We decided to take this action to send a message that we will not be cowed nor stopped by any machinations by Mencorp,” explains Ka Ronald Fariñas, TEU Vice President. “The hesitancy and inaction of the NLRC will not take away our militancy to claim what is rightfully ours nor overshadow a landmark victory not only for TEU but for all the unions in the transport sector,” he added.

The 30 individuals who started the march-caravan from Vigan City were later joined by other members riding their tricycles, motorcycles, and other small vehicles as they passed the town of Bantay. Another group of members with their families waited in Santa, who provided snacks and refreshments for the march-caravan. The Abra contingent joined the main group at the Narvacan-Bangued Junction road bringing the number of participants to more than 50 individuals.

The union also calls for the denial of the Petition for Inhibition filed by Mencorp Transport System Company, Inc. (operator of Dominion Bus) against Labor Arbiter Patricio Libo-on, who is currently handling the case, junking of the third party claim filed by a certain Melissa Lim, who supposedly bought Mencorp from Spouses Mendoza, and the release of the Writ of Execution for their P97 million claims for their back wages and other financial matters related to the case.

The group plans to reach Quezon City NLRC-NCR on Monday (Nov. 5) morning. The group spends the night of their first-day march at Bitalag, Tagudin and will continue their march-caravan tomorrow at 5:00 in the morning.

Growing Support

TEU’s move immediately garnered widespread support from different sectors and organizations in the region, especially in the province of Ilocos Sur where most of the members are based.

As the group marched, roadside residents’ offered food and water to the marchers. In many instances, people would ask about the issue and expressed their agreement with the union’s demand as well as their disgust for the Times and Dominion management/owners.

In a statement, Bayan Muna Ilocos immediately expressed its support to the workers and called for all its members to extend whatever assistance they could provide for the march-caravan and assailed the NLRC’s inaction.

“The apparent backtracking of NLRC to implement the decision is a clear negligence of its mandate and manifestation of its empty claim of fair and just labor dispute arbitration, and classic example of the Aquino government’s tuwid na daan slogan going crooked and leading a country away from social justice and worker’s rights protection,” the statement said.

The Ilocos Sur Ecumenical Movement extended their solidarity to the workers plight and vowed to include their issue in their advocacies and prayer.

Solidarity of Peasants Against Exploitation also called on all its members to tender support, including mobilization to welcome and escort the marching workers for its chapters that are able to muster enough members in the shortest possible time. # nordis.net

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No wage hike under the two-tiered wage system

October 7, 2012 in employment, Featured, national

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU) national president and Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement or KMU) national Vice-chairperson Joselito Ustarez said that the Regional Tripartite and Wage Productivity Board (RTWPB) will be more useless under the new two-tiered wage system (2tws).

Ustarez who was the guest speaker during the 25th general assembly of the Union of Faculty and Employees of Saint Louis University (UFESLU) at the SLU Burgos Gymnassium explained that the wage system is the newest scheme of the government to the delight of the employers and greedy businessmen to suppressing the workers’ right to decent living. He said that this should be exposed and opposed the soonest amidst the continuous rising of prices of basic commodities.

Under the 2tws, Ustarez said that there will be a floor wage for the workers that will be based on the poverty threshold of their respective regions. For instance, he explained, if the government will declare that the poverty threshold of the Cordillera Region is P200 a day, then the daily minimum wage of non-agricultural sector which is P280 may be adjusted to P250-P260.

The labor leader said the second tier is that wage increase will depend on the productivity of the company. According to Ustarez, the employers can use the productivity issue not to raise at all the wages of their employees. He cited his experience as an industrial workers for 29 years. He said that in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the company, they will have an appraisal based on the productivity of the company but their boss did never admit that his company had high productivity.

“Wala pa akong alam na mga kapitalista na nagsabing kumikita ng malaki ang kanilang kumpanya at pumapayag silang itaas ang suweldo ng mga mangggawa,” (I have not heard of capitalists saying that their companies accumulated high profits therefore agreeing to raise their workers’ salaries) Ustarez said.

According to Ustarez, there will be no wage hike for five months. The wage boards will not entertain any petition for wage increases.

Ustarez said they are still seeking the passage of the House Bill 375 proposed by Anakpawis Party List Representative Rafael Mariano seeking a P125 nationwide increase to the minimum wage. He said the wage hike demand is already long overdue, it was being demanded by the workers in the late 1990’s and was proposed by the late Bayan Muna Party List Representative Crispin Beltran.

“Ang kailangan natin ay isang nakakabuhay na pagtaas ng sahod at hindi mga mapanlinlang na mga polisiya tulad ng 2tws,” (We need is an essential wage increase and not deceitful policies like the 2tws) said Ustarez. # nordis.net

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Philippines losing skilled workers to foreign work

September 16, 2012 in employment, national

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — The country is losing its own skilled and professional workers to foreign employment because of its underdeveloped industries, according to National Competitiveness Council Co-chair for the Private Sector Guilermo M. Luz.

Luz said that the competition is now global and countries are fighting for foreign direct investments, trade, services, tourists, image and human capital where professionals and skilled workers fall.

He pointed out that the country is losing skilled and professional workers to foreign employment citing the 3,000 Filipinos leaving the country for work abroad everyday. “There goes our human capital. Leaving the country to work abroad because there are no opportunities here,” he reiterated.

Luz further reiterated the need to develop the country’s industries to provide employment opportunities here. He added that there is a need to develop more economic hubs in the country because at present there are only three hubs, Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao. “The country needs 10 to 12 economic hubs given its population and 7,000 scattered islands,” he stressed.

The NCC co-chair explained that if ten more hubs are developed in strategic locations all over the country then more Filipinos would stay home or seek employment here. He added that more economic hubs would provide more jobs which would help improve the lives of the people.

He further said that Baguio and the Cordillera region is a strategic area that should be developed as an economic hub.

He was in Baguio for the NCC roadshow carrying the theme Boosting Regional Competitiveness through Private Public Partnership. The roadshow aims to create regional competitiveness councils all over the country to monitor and create a road map toward development of globally competitive economic hubs in the country. He explained that the RCC is created through a resolution of the Regional Development Councils (RDC).

Dr. Virgilio Bautista, co-chair of the RDC Cordillera is convinced that the creation of an RCC in the region is feasible and needed. He is confident that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) would make the resolution for the creation of an RCC and that it would be surely approved.

Bautista said the RDC would follow the suggestion of the NCC that the RCC should be composed of 50% public and 50% private representatives and to include the universities. He added that the universities would play a crucial role in research and monitoring. He added that universities would also provide, develop and train professional and skilled human capital. # nordis.net

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Solon hits K+12 as anti-teacher, self-defeating program

June 10, 2012 in education, employment, national

By ACT (PR)

MANILA — ACT Teachers Party-List Representative Antonio L. Tinio denounces the dismal plight of volunteer Kinder teachers under President Aquino’s K to 12 Program.

“To the front liners of his K to 12 Program, PNoy gives stubs when they need boxes of chalk, misery when they need decent lives,” Tinio laments.

“A small family, even the teacher-breadwinner himself or herself, simply cannot live on a P3,000 monthly allowance.”

If computed to a daily rate, the P3,000 honorarium DepEd pays to volunteer Kinder teachers amounts to P100, or four times less than P446, the minimum daily wage for the National Capital Region.

This goes up to P200 if the volunteer teacher handles two classes. With a family living wage (FLW) of P993, they fall short daily by P893, or P793, for their own needs and their families’.

Volunteer teachers in far-flung areas fare worse, as they are paid only P2,000 monthly (P66.67 daily) for handling multi-grade or small classes (10 pupils or less). 

Their daily budget shortfall amounts to P393.33 when computed against the NCR minimum wage (the highest in all regions), or P926.33 when computed against the FLW.

The independent political and economic think tank IBON Foundation defines FLW to be the amount a family of six needs for essentials: P204 daily for food; P2,096 monthly for rent; P1,150 monthly for fuel, light and water; and P28 daily for transportation.

Ibon’s P993 FLW is based on the 2008 FLW estimate issued by the National Wages Productivity Commission, its latest.

Tinio observes that even the maximum P6,000 allowance is barely enough for daily food expenses of one family.

Volunteer teachers teach majority of Kinder classes nationwide.

At the hearing of the House Committees on Basic Education and Higher Education Monday, DepEd admitted that it has hired over 20,000 volunteer teachers using its 2012 budget. DepEd hired only 3,000 regular teachers.

Tinio notes that DepEd created the Kindergarten Volunteer Program (KVP, under DepEd Order 21, series of 2012 and DepEd Order 37, series of 2011) as a way to seemingly “solve” the shortage in Kinder teachers, without a thought to the right of teachers to adequate remuneration, among other rights guaranteed by the 1987 Constitution and the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.

Tinio added that the Palace and DepEd only need to fund more Teacher I items to decisively solve the teacher shortage.

“Scrimping on teachers is not the answer, and they do not deserve to be abused and treated inhumanely. We call on PNoy to give them fair compensation befitting their status as educators, the ones who propel his K to 12 Program.”

Even without delving into the qualifications issue, Tinio believes that KVP dooms the efficiency of K to 12.

“The Program is self-defeating because it will flood the education system with overworked yet underpaid teachers, and PNoy knows this.This measly allowance is one of the marks of his insincerity to reform the education system,” Tinio said. # nordis.net

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P8 wage increase not enough — Anakpawis

May 27, 2012 in Cordillera, employment

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Anakpawis-Cordillera Regional Coordinator Michael Cabangon criticized wage order RB-CAR 15 of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board of the Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera Administrative Region (RTWPB-DOLE-CAR) last May 18 granting an P8.00 increase in the region’s minimum wage.

Cabangon reiterated that the increase is so small that the workers will actually not feel it as the prices of basic goods and commodities continue to rise. He said that workers who are sending their children to school are also burdened by tuition hikes.

He added that there is no significant increase under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III just like his predecessors. He said that the wage orders in the region and elsewhere are made favoring the big businesses and are not being based on the actual daily needs of a worker and his family. He said that the latest wage order is a sign of insensitivity to the real economic situation of the workers.

With the said increase the minimum wage for non-agricultural workers in Baguio City and municipalities La-Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba of Benguet Province should be P280 per day and P262 for those in the agriculture sector. For the rest of the region (Mountain Province, Abra, Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao), the minimum wage for non-agricultural workers is now P263 and P246 for agriculture workers.

The said wage order maintains the P37 Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) provided under Wage Order RB-CAR No. 14.

Cabangon said that the workers of the Cordillera like the rest of the workers of the country are still longing for the passage of House Bill 375 that seeks for a legislated P125 wage increase nationwide pending in congress. He said that the demand for a P125 wage hike started in August of 1999. He added that it was first filed in congress by the late Crispin Beltran then of Bayan Muna Partylist in 2001 and was refiled by Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano as HB 375 in 2008.

He said that while they are calling for a P125 wage hike across the board in the country, they are also calling for the abolition of regional wage boards. He said that wage increases should be done nationwide and not according to regions. “And the workers do not need petty increases as the price hikes of basic commodities are incessant,” said Cabangon.

According to Cabangon, they are also calling for the passage of the anti-contractualization bill or House Bill 5110 authored by Mariano. He explained that the bill seeks for the regular employment of Filipino workers and ensure their security of tenure. # nordis.net

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Casiño hits cuts in health workers pay

May 13, 2012 in employment, national

By BAYAN MUNA (PR)

MANILA — In commemoration of Health Workers’ Day, partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño joined health workers from various hospitals decry attempts to cut their allowances and hazard pay at the same time demand for higher wages and  benefits for the sector.

Casiño pointed out that it has been more than a decade since the rates of P50 a day and P150 a month were prescribed for subsistence and laundry allowances, respectively, for public health workers. But instead of upgrading the rates, Casiño said the Department of Budget and Management even wants   to reduce it.

“As it is, the P50 daily subsistence allowance can hardly get you one ulam yet it is meant to cover three meals. The P150 monthly laundry allowance is just enough to buy laundry detergent, wala pa yung cost of water and labor,” Casiño said.

He stressed that the said the laundry allowance is especially important for health workers because of their need for extra hygiene. Subsistence allowances were equally important due to the low pay given to health professionals in government.

In contrast, uniformed service personnel are already receiving a P90 daily subsistence allowance.

“Ang masama dito ay sinubukan pa itong babaan ng DBM to P30/day subsistence  and P125/month laundry through National Budget Memorandum 12 issued December  2011. Baka naman gusto nilang himatayin sa gutom at mangamoy ang mga nars at  doctor natin?” he added.

He added that the DOH countered DBM’s memorandum with its own circular retaining the rates and funds to be sourced from its savings. “Eh paano kung walang savings, eh di wala na,” he said.

He further revealed that  doctors who were upgraded to salary grades 20 and up under the Salary Standardization Law 3 suffered cuts in hazard pay from 25% of their salary as mandated by the Magna Carta for Health Workers Act to only 5%. 

“Marapat lamang na itaas ang sahod at dagdagan ang mga benepisyo ng mga mangga-gawang pangkalusugan dahil sila ang nag-aalaga sa atin kung kelan tayo pinakanangangailan-gan. Kapag tayo ay may sakit o may sakuna ay sila ang umaaruga sa atin upang tayo ay muling mapabuti ang kalagayan.  Kaya napakaimportante ang hazard pay dahil exposed sa sakit ang health workers, at importante ang laba dahil sa mikrobyo na kumakabit sa damit nila,” said the progressive lawmaker. 

Rep. Casiño is the author of House Resolution 2312, directing the  Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the determination of subsistence and laundry allowances and hazard pay allotted for public health workers.

Rep. Casiño is also the principal author of House Bill 5230  proposing the re-upgrading of the minimum salary grade level of public nurses from salary grade 11 to salary grade 15 or P24,887 and those occupying higher positions be adjusted accordingly. He is also the principal author of House Bill 5568 proposing the upgrading of the salaries of government doctors to salary grade 24 or P49,750. # nordis.net

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Underemployment in region is high — DOLE chief

April 29, 2012 in Cordillera, employment, Featured

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — In a press conference on the observance of Labor Day with jobs and livelihood fairs, Regional Director of the Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOLE-CAR) Henry John S. Jalbuena said that they noted the high percentage of under-employement in the region.

According to Jalbuena, there are two kinds of underemployed. He said those who are working for 40 hours a week but still looking for additional sources of income and the other are those who are working less than 40 hours a week or eight hours a day. He explained that these underemployed seek additional financial resources aside from their current employment.

Jalbuena said that of the 793 thousand labor force in the Cordillera region, 755 thousand are employed, 38 thousand are unemployed and 140 are underemployed. Meanwhile, in the city of Baguio, Jalbuena said that there is a 92 percent employment rate and eight percent unemployment rate. He explained that the labor force is composed of people who are able to work, ages from 15 and above.

The regional director said that their agency is focusing on underemployment. Jalbuena said that one way for the Dole to address the problem is through conducting Community Entrepreneurship Development trainings where workers as well as unemployed people are given the chance to be trained in entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, Anakpawis Cordillera spokesperson Michael Cabangon said that many workers tend to look for additional source of income as their present wages are not enough for their daily needs. He added that aside from receiving low wage, the workers in the region just like the rest of the Filipino workers are suffering from lack of benefits and unfair labor practices.

Cabangon said that workers because of lack of employment that caters eight hours of work a day were forced to enter jobs that are less than eight hours. He also said that there are many workers that are accepting per piece jobs. # nordis.net

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Half of graduates to be jobless

April 8, 2012 in employment, Featured, national

By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Half of this year’s 517,000 college graduates nationwide is expected to end up jobless as the present administration of Pres. Noynoy Aquino III lacks job opportunities.

The activist youth group Anakbayan said that the Aquino administration has “no coherent plan for job generation and sustainable economic development.”

Citing data from the government’s National Statistics Office, Anakbayan said that 37.4 percent to 40.8 percent of youth in the labor force in the past decade have landed a job. Very notable, the youth organization added, was the fact that 43 percent of the currently unemployed were able to earn a college degree.

In the Cordillera region, 14,492 graduated in the tertiary level last year where most of them took up nursing followed by those from the Hotel and Restaurant Management, according to the regional office of the CHED.

Anakbayan – Cordillera Spokesperson Tracy Ann Dumalo said that the increase of this year’s graduates from last year shows that the Batch 2012 will be competing for fewer job positions as unemployed Filipinos reached 9 million in the last quarter of 2011. Last year’s graduates were 400,000 nationwide, a growth of 117,000 for this school year.

“With the Aquino administration merely continuing the export and foreigner-oriented economic policies of its successor, we see no reason for the youth unemployment situation to improve this year” added Dumalo.

The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) observed the trend on the country’s graduates where they landed jobs not necessarily related to the courses that they had finished.

A graduate of commerce will end up as a sales lady or a licensed nurse working as a call center agent, NUSP observed.

Of the 12.36 million employed youth last year, 6.49 million are found in the so-called services sector which includes call center agents and the BPO (business process outsourcing) ‘industry,’ Dumalo further explained.

And Anakbayan traced the worsening unemployment on the decades of government focus on foreign investors and markets as the means of generating jobs. “It has made the country vulnerable to the so-called ‘Greater Depression’ which has struck Western countries since 2008. The latest ‘phase’ of the said Depression is the U.S government’s imposition of penalties and removal of subsidies to American firms who outsource their operations to other countries,” she explained.

Instead of relying on BPOs, or even export-oriented agricultural and industrial corporations, Anakbayan proposed the government should focus: on modernizing agriculture and developing food self-reliance; encouraging local businesses by lowering fuel, electricity, and other costs; and nationalizing key industries like oil, power, and mining.

Earlier, the youth group pointed out that the career orientation and employment coaching seminars being undertaken by the Aquino administration, through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), would not suffice at addressing the growing need for quality employment of the new graduates and the ballooning number of unemployed Filipinos. # nordis.net

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Job fairs not the solution to unemployment

April 8, 2012 in employment, national

By NUSP-BB PR

BAGUIO CITY — Progressive youth groups here in the Cordillera criticized the Aquino administration today for ‘Noynoying’ on the issue of college graduates’ unemployment, with the government again resorting to job fairs to give the impression that it is actually doing something.

In a repeat of graduation seasons in previous years, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is again hyping-up job fairs as its way of providing employment for the estimated 517,000 students who will graduate from college this March.

Ivan Labayne, chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines Baguio Benguet (CEGP-BB) says that “In the case of the region, BPO’s absorbs the majority of the 14,000 graduates that the region produces. Mostly graduates become victims of contractualization in call centers and other jobs like fly by night tutorial schools and online writing centers.”

He adds that as fresh graduates, they face disadvantages in looking for job opportunities for their lack of experience.

Labayne also adds that in the city’s Export Processing Zone majority of companies are call centers, which 80% of the employees are young people.

“Graduates of previous years will attest to how only a few dozen applicants are accepted out of the tens of thousands who troop to each job fair. Like just about anything being done by Noynoy, this is just meant to give the impression that the government is doing something,” said Tracy Dumalo, spokesperson of Anakbayan Cordillera.

She cited a study by the think-tank IBON Foundation which revealed that 86% of the 1.1 million jobs generated in Aquino’s first year are part time jobs, with 31.7% of the said jobs coming from the so-called ‘informal sector’, such as vendors, while 26.7% come from agriculture.

More revealing of the government’s failure to generate jobs is last month’s SWS survey which showed that 9.7 million Filipinos are now unemployed. In the 18-24 years old bracket, joblessness rose from 46% to 49%.

Meanwhile Cielo Marie Bayson, coordinator of the National Union of Students of the Philippines Baguio Benguet (NUSP-BB) disputed the phenomenon of ‘job mismatch’, saying the term was coined to disguise the government’s lack of a meaningful national economic development plan.

“We have hundreds of thousands of unemployed nurses and engineers. But on the other hand, many rural areas still lack basic health services, and our country’s level of technological level is still very low. It is misleading to say that our graduates do not possess the skills relevant to today’s economy. The truth is, the government is squandering the talents of the youth today which could have been used in nation-building,” says Bayson. # nordis.net

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Independent think tank says economy can support wage hike

April 8, 2012 in employment, national

By IBON (PR)

BAGUIO CITY — Contradicting the claims of the Malacañang Palace that wage hike in the country is not practical and will cause closure of businesses, the independent think tank Ibon Foundation Inc. stated in their website that employers in the Philippines can afford a substantial wage increase if only they accept a cut in their already considerable profits.

The Ibon release said that the economy can support a substantial raise on the workers’ wages as the country’s economy has more than enough profits. It added that the workers and their families’ welfare will have substantial improvement once there will be a wage hike.

Ibon issued the statement a day after the palace through Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte announced that President Benigno Aquino III is not supporting the proposed P125 wage hike bill pending in the house of congress. Valte said that the palace leave the decision to the regional wage boards and labor department to determine if there is any need for a wage increase.

According Ibon, based on the 2009 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI) of the National Statistics Office (NSO), all the establishments in the country of all employment sizes in 2009 had combined profits of P1,629.5 billion and 3.94 million employees. Ibon added that granting a P125 across the board wage hike will mean that workers will receive an additional P3,802 a month and the employers will be spending an additional P49, 427 per employee a year (assuming 13 months of pay), the total cost of the proposed wage hike will only be P194.9 billion. When subtracted from total profits, this will still leave establishments with P1,434.6 billion in profits. This is only a 12% cut in their profits stressed Ibon.

The think tank also said that the situation is more straightforward for the country’s largest corporations.

“The Top 1,000 corporations in the country combined annual net income increased from P116.4 billion in 2001 to P804.1 billion just in 2010, with a cumulative P4,593 billion over the decade 2001-2010. Combined net income in 2010 was nearly double the P416 billion in 2008 despite the onset of the global crisis – affirming their ability to absorb a significant wage hike,” Ibon explained.

Ibon added that a large wake hike will not just benefit the workers and their families but will also help the economy. It explained that the transfer of money from the rich to the poor households will increase aggregate demand therefore will stimulate the Philippine economy.

According to Ibon, wage increase will be one of the most concrete ways for growth in the country to become more inclusive than benefiting just a handful of elite farmers and big corporations. “Opposition to a wage increase and alarmist scenarios of runaway inflation and massive job losses are unwarranted, and may just be justifications to preserve high profits at the expense of workers and other low-paid employees,” ended Ibon release. # nordis.net

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Anakpawis-Cordillera hit PNoy for rejecting P125 wage hike

April 1, 2012 in Cordillera, employment

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Anakpawis Partylist spokesperson Michael Cabangon expressed their groups dismay on the recent announcement of Malacañang Palace rejecting the demand of the Filipino workers of a P125 wage increase nationwide.

In one press conference at the country’s Presidential residence, the palace through its deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the P125 wage hike is not practical as not all the employers can afford it. Valte also presented computations using them as basis for not approving the demand. According to Valte, the proposed daily wage increase would mean a monthly wage increase of P3,250.

Cabangon said that the administration only shows its true color. He said that contrary to the claims of President Benigno Aquino III of being the servant of the Filipino people as he said they are his boss, Aquino obviously favors the businessmen.

According to Cabangon, the demand actually is long overdue. He said that the demand started in the last part of the 90’s. The demand was then proposed in the house Bill 375. It was first proposed in the House of Congress by then Bayan Muna Party List Representative Crispin Beltran.

Meanwhile, the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) criticized Aquino for being so insensitive to the Filipino workers’ impoverished situation. According to KMU National Chairperson Elmer Labog, the announcement of Valte is an old tactic claiming that such increase is so high and that it will result to business closure and mass job displacement.

“Makatwiran at praktikal ang kahilingan namin na P125 dagdag sahod para sa buong bansa. Maliit na kabawasan lamang ito para sa mga kapitalista,” (Our demand of a P125 wage increase nationwide is just and practical . This is small for the capitalists) said Labog. He also said that only a small fraction of the whole production goes to the wage of the workers.

Labog clarified that the proposed P125 across-the board wage hike nationwide will only cover the workers of the private sector and not the whole work force. The labor leader said it is disappointing that Aquino does not listen to the craves of the people especially the poor workers. He also said that in protecting the interests of the big local and foreign capitalists, his administration invents foolish computations on the said wage hike demand.

Meanwhile, the House Committee on Labor chair Northern Samar Representative Emil Ong said that they will still to discuss the House Bill 375 filed by Anakpawis Party List Representative Rafael Mariano. He also announced that a regional hearing in Baguio will be scheduled in May.

Cabangon said they will be in close coordination with the KMU national in doing appropriate actions to reiterate their demand to pass the wage hike bill. # nordis.net

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Mentors call for salary hike

January 8, 2012 in Baguio City, employment, Featured, national

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers -Metro Baguio Chapter (ACT-MB) will join the Nationally Coordinated Action to drumbeat the upgrading of salaries for public school teachers this 2012.

According to Perry Mendoza of Act-MB, said the nationally coordinated action will be on January 18. He said that the militant teachers group will air their support for the passing of House Bill 2142 or the upgrading of the Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 15 for public school teachers and government employees.

Mendoza explained that once the bill is approved and passed into law, the minimum salary of a public school teachers will be P24,887 from the present P15,649. He said that most public teachers are financially hard-up even if they are receiving more than P15,000 because of the continued rising prices of commodities.

Adding up to the teachers’ suffering are the many deductions that greatly reduces their take-home or actual salary.

According to ACT Teachers’ Party List Representative Antonio Tinio who is the author of the said bill, those covered in the salary hike are public elementary and high school teachers. Also included in the said bill are teachers in the vocational and technical schools as well as state colleges and universities.

Mendoza said that aside from rallying for the salary hike, they will also renew their call for the regularization of contractual teachers.

He also said they are demanding for 104,000 new teacher items and the increase in their chalk allowance. He added that they are asking for the recognition of their democratic rights to join teachers organizations.

Mendoza also added that one of the campaigns of ACT this year is the registration of the teachers’ alliance as a union. He explained that the union is a democratic organization for employees and professionals in the private and public sector with the aim to advance their common economic interests such as salaries and employment benefits. He said that the union shall ensure their rights to job security and the participation in decision-making in the workplace.

According to Mendoza, the public school teachers can form and join unions as the Philippine Constitution guarantees their rights as government or public sector personnel to do so. He cited Article III, Section 8 of the Philippine Constitution stating the right of the people, including those employed in the public and private sectors, to form unions, associations, or societies for the purposes not contrary to law shall not be abridged.

He said that once the teachers form their union, they will have a legal personality to negotiate with the administration and come-up with a Collective Negotiations Agreement (can) that legally binds both sides.

Mendoza said that since faculty clubs and teachers’ associations are not uniona, the administrators of the Department of Education (DepEd) are not compelled by law to negotiate with them and come up with a CNA.

Mendoza further explained that Act is working to be the accredited union of teachers in the public elementary and high schools all over the Philippines. He said that ACT will remain a national organization but registration as a union shall be at the regional level. # nordis.net

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Youth vulnerable to contractualization, joblessness

December 4, 2011 in Baguio City, employment

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — According to Hector Sucte of the Anakbayan-Cordillera, the Filipino youth especially those from the poor families are the most susceptible to contractualization and joblessness.

Sucte said that every year, hundred of thousands of fresh graduates flood the population of the unemployed Filipino youth. Most of them he said can not land jobs appropriately to the degree they finished. He added that these graduates end up in call centers, outsourcing agencies, labor only contract jobs and other seasonal jobs.

Sucte said that most of these graduates are also vulnerable to low wages, lack of benefits, unsafe working conditions and other labor rights violations. He added that even those few who are employed as regular workers are not spared from union busting and massive retrenchment.

“Maemploy da man ket agbalin da met a biktima ti unfair labor policies,” (If ever they are employed, they fall victims to unfair labor policies) said Sucte. He reiterated that these labor policies are not designed for the benefit the workers especially the youth but for the employers because most of the lawmakers are employers themselves owning big establishments.

According to Sucte, many of the Filipino youth cannot afford to go to school. He also said, there are more out of school youth (OSY). He explained most of these OSY are forced into anti-social activities. Sucte said that come resort to prostitution while others of them are engaged in drug dealing, organized crimes and even petty crimes just to feed their hungry stomachs.

“It is sad to hear that many Filipino youth are being arrested because of illegal activities, worse he sighed is that many of them are being killed in encounters with the police either from legitimate ones or from ‘salvaging’,” Sucte lamented.

Sucte said the government failed to perform its mandate to provide decent jobs and future for its youth. He added that the present President instead of being true to his word in leading the straight path to progress is obviously following his predecessors’ reputation of being anti-Filipino poor.

Sucte hit the jobs fairs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and other agencies. He said that these are only promoting contractual jobs. He said that it is true that the number of employed youth will rise in a certain period but after their contracts expire, these so-called employed will be jobless again desperately hunting for new employment.

“Awanen ti pagpilian ti kabataan a Pilipino nu saan nga aggaraw tapno mapapintas ti biag na,” (The youth have no other choice but to act accordingly for a better life) said Sucte.

Sucte stressed that the Filipino youth of today should be one with the rest of the Filipino people working for a change in the system. He explained that for the youth to understand why they are suffering from such unbearable crisis, they should study the structure of the Philippine society and the reasons behind these crisis.

Sucte reiterated that only by studying will they have the capacity to realize their role in the people’s movement fighting for a better living condition in a better society.

Sucte challenged the youth to live by the aspirations of the great plebeian Andres Bonifacio who studied the society and lead the Filipino people to fight against the oppressors. # nordis.net

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KMU slams call to decriminalize wage violations

November 27, 2011 in employment, national, social concerns

By KILUSANG MAYO UNO (PR)
www.nordis.net

MANILA — Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned today the call made by the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines to decriminalize employers’ violations of minimum wage laws, saying this is clearly callous and anti-worker.

In an interview with Business Mirror last week, ECOP president Edgardo Lacson opposed bills in the House of Representatives seeking to legislate a longer prison term for employers who violate the country’s wage laws, saying the government should do the opposite and decriminalize such violations.

He was reacting to House Bills 942, 1817, 1889, and 2884 authored by Reps. Reynaldo Umali, Emmeline Aglipay, Ben Evardone and Joseph Victor Ejercito, respectively, which seek to extend the penalty of two-year imprisonment to four years for such crimes.

It seems that the country’s capitalists have become too insensitive to the plight of Filipino workers and too arrogant in asserting demands to the government. They do not know how workers and their families strive to cope with such a meager minimum wage,” said Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general.

Decriminalizing violations of minimum wage laws is tantamount to giving capitalists the green light to press down wages to the lowest possible levels and further impoverish workers. The current minimum wage, meager as it is, is being denied by many capitalists to workers,” he added.

KMU cited an April 2011 research by independent think-tank Ibon Foundation showing that the Metro Manila minimum wage of P404 is only 2/5 of the amount needed daily by Filipino families to live decently, which currently stands at P988. The said proportion in 2001 was 1/2.

Target electric rates, not wages

KMU also said that ECOP should stop threatening the government that such bills, when passed, will push employers to the informal sector, thereby decreasing tax revenues for the government.

Instead of overreacting to moves to increase penalties on violations of wage laws, as well as to calls for a significant wage hike, ECOP should campaign for the reduction of electricity rates in the country, currently the highest in Asia. Even ECOP members tell us that it is not wages that burden employers right now, but high power rates,” Soluta said.

Capitalists should stand up to the government and big capitalists in the power sector and stop reducing the wages that workers receive. Because we are faced with intensifying hunger and poverty, we are fighting for a significant wage hike,” he added.

KMU has been calling for the passage of HB 375, filed by Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Rafael V. Mariano, seeking to legislate a P125 across-the-board wage increase nationwide. # nordis.net

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