“Hindi lang manggagawa. Lahat ng mga sektor na narito, at mga estudyante, nakaranas ng pananakit sa kanila. Pati pari. Wala silang pakialam.”–Reynante Gudinez, Spokesperson, Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng NutriAsia
Using Philippine National Police shields, NutriAsia guards attacked the striking workers and their supporters in the violent dispersal at Marilao, Bulacan Monday afternoon, July 30.
In this video by Radyo Natin-Guimba reporter Jek Alcaraz, the workers and their supporters were asking the guards not to use their truncheons but were viciously attacked nonetheless.
Alcaraz was told by guards to go behind them, but was later hit on her lower right thigh by a truncheon-flailing guard during the melee.
The workers tried to defend themselves with placards as shield and later threw back a few stones and pieces of wood in retaliation but were easily overpowered by the aggressive guards.
The video later showed Alcaraz momentarily trapped inside the strikers’ makeshift hut but was able to retreat to a safe distance after instructing a woman to go through a gap in a barbwire fence.
https://www.facebook.com/radyonatinguimba105.3/videos/1841156355969476/
Nineteen NutriAsia workers and supporters were arrested as 100 elements of the Meycauyan Police and security guards dispersed the picketline just outside the factory in Marilao, Bulacan.
In a phone interview with Bulatlat, NutriAsia worker William Espiritu said the violence started at around 3. pm. today, July 31.
While an ecumenical prayer by some 300 workers and supporters was being held, company security guards started pushing the workers using police’s shields. After a few minutes, the policemen and guards hit the protesters with rattan sticks and threw stones at them.
“They kept on striking us, even as we raised our hands,” Espiritu said. “They did not have any mercy.”
Espiritu said a dialogue between the management and their union was scheduled today. “We were ready to dismantle our picket if need be. Our only demand is to reinstate all the dismissed workers,” he said in Filipino.
One of the supporters of NutriAsia workers hit by the police. (Photo courtesy of Anakbayan)
One of the supporters, identified as Leticia Espino, a member of Kadamay from Pandi, Bulacan was among those hurt. A photograph posted by Anakbayan shows blood all over Espino’s mouth, spilling on her scarf and blouse.
Two others, Espiritu said, were brought to the hospital in critical condition. At least 20 more were wounded and given first aid.
Nineteen were arrested and brought to Meycauayan Police Station, according to Karra Taggaoa, spokesperson of the League of Filipino Students (LFS). Among those arrested were Anakbayan Secretary General Einstein Recedes and LFS Secretary General Mark Quinto.
After the arrests and beatings, Espiritu said the policemen and security guards destroyed the workers’ makeshift tents and confiscated their laptops, cellphones, bags containing cash and personal belongings.
Espiritu said at least 20 motorcycles and some bicycles owned by NutriAsia workers were also taken by policemen and security guards and brought inside the NutriAsia compound.
NutriAsia workers began their strike on June 2 after management dismissed 50 workers. The NurtiAsia workers are also demanding regularization.
Journalists hurt, arrested
Also apprehended were journalists covering the incident.
Rhea Padilla, national coordinator of Altermidya, said one of their volunteers, Hiyas Saturay sent her a message informing her that she and her colleagues Eric Tandoc, Avon Ang, Psalty Caluza were being taken by policemen.
A campus journalist, Jon Angelo Bonifacio of the Scientia publication of the College of Science of UP, was also arrested.
The five were among the 19 arrested and are currently detained at the Meycauayan Police Station.
Another journalist, Rosemarie Alcaraz of Radyo Natin Guimba, was hurt when NutriAsia security guards hit her with rattan sticks and pushed her away. While filming the dispersal, a policeman hit her camera, a Canon 70D.
“They knew that I’m a journalist. I’m wearing my ID,” Alcaraz told Bulatlat.
Kodao reporter Joseph Cuevas was also told by a company guard to stop filming or his camera would be destroyed.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the arrest of the five journalists, the attack on Alcaraz and threat against Cuevas.
“We denounce the security personnel of NutriAsia for deliberately targeting journalists and the Bulacan police not only for failing to prevent or stop this outrage from happening but, even worse, arresting five colleagues, making false claims about them, and then preventing other journalists from inquiring after them and covering their detention,” the NUJP in a statement said.
The group demanded the release of the five detained journalists by the Meycauayan police and forget plans of filing trumped up criminal charges against the journalists.
The NUJP likewise called on Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde to initiate an immediate investigation into this clear abuse of authority by his subordinates.
Kodao tried to interview NutriAsia guards after the dispersal and arrests but was refused. At the Meycauayan PNP station, the Kodao team was told to leave the precinct when it inquired about the arrested journalists. # (Len Olea/Bulatlat and Raymund B. Villanueva/Kodao)
Ni Joseph Cuevas
Valenzuela City—Binisita ng International Solidarity Mission (ISM) at mga taong simbahan ang piketlayn ng mga manggagawa ng CoreAsia Paper Mills sa Bagbaguin sa Valenzuela City. Doon nakawelga ang halos 50 na manggagawa na tinanggal nang management matapos magtayo ng unyon.
Ayon kay Joseph Lorico, Internal Vice-President nang Pinagkaisang Lakas ng mga Manggagawa ng CoreAsia, hindi makatarungan ang pagtanggal sa kanila sa trabaho dahil sa piket protesta at welga simula noong Hulyo 2.
Samu’t-saring mga isyu ang inirereklamo ng mga manggagawa bago magwelga. Nariyan ang napakababang sahod para sa mga pahinante at drayber ng pagawaan na umaabot lamang sa P280 kada araw, gayundin ang sobrang habang oras na pagtratrabaho na aabot sa 10 hanggang 15 oras.
Dagdag pa ni Lorico, kahit ang pagpapagamot ay sila pa ang gumasgastos at nag-aayos. May isang insidente na halos maputol ang kamay ng isang manggagawa dahil naipit ito sa makina subalit siya pa ang nagasikaso ng kanyang SSS (Social Security Sytem) benefit.
Higit pa rito, ayon sa lider manggagawa, ipinapatupad ng CoreAsia ang sistemang kontraktwal. Sa halos 108 manggagawa, kalahati sa kanila ay kontraktwal at nakapaloob sa mga agency. Sapilitan din silang pinagresign nang kanilang iputok ang welga. Ginamit ng kumpanya ang Pulis Valenzuela na kumbinsihin sila na itigil na ang welga at magbubukas naman uli diumano ito sa katapusan ng Hulyo—isang malinaw na union busting o pambubuwag sa unyon ayon kay Lorico.
Dumagsa naman ang ibat-ibang grupo para suportahan at tulungan ang mga nagwewelgang manggagawa. Lumapit na din sila sa Department of Labor and Employement para makipag-ugnayan sa kaso nila, katuwang ang kanilang abugado.
Sa kanilang bisita, inalam ng ISM ang tunay na kalagayan ng mga manggagawa sa ilalim ng gubyernong Rodrigo Duterte. Nalaman nila na nagpapatuloy ang kontraktwalisasyon sa sektor ng paggawa sa kabila ng pangako ng pangulong agarang tatapusin ang kontraktuwalisasyon. Dagdag pa, nalaman ng ISM na nagsasabwatan ang mga kapitalista at pulisya upang labagin ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa na maglunsad ng protesta o welga para sa mga demokratikong panawagan, tulad ng kasiguruhan sa trabaho, tamang pasahod at ligtas na pagawaan.
Ayon sa mga manggagawa, inihanda na nila ang kanilang mga sarili sa kung anuman ang kahihitnan ng kanilang laban. Naniniwala sila na mananaig ang panawagan nilang makabalik sa trabaho at maging inspirasyon sila sa kapwa manggagawa na lumaban at nanindigan para sahod, trabaho at karapatan.
Ang CoreAsia ay pagmamay-ari ng kapitalistang si Chris Chua. Ito ay paggawaan ng cores and tubes ng toilet paper gayundin paste board, sheeted paper at iba pang produktong yari sa papel. #
KMU stands in solidarity with the American working class in challenging the neoliberal economic policies that drive down wages, destroy unions, and harm the health and well-being of workers.
Raymond Palatino (front row, 5th from right) with members of the Illinois Labor History Society. (Photo by Ciriaco Santiago III, used with permission)
Labor federations vowed to hold their biggest Labor Day protest on Tuesday after agreeing to jointly march against President Duterte’s failed promise to end contractualization.
In a press conference in Manila Friday, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Nagkaisa Labor Coalition said as many as 60,000 workers in Metro Manila and 150,000 all over the country will march as one on May 1.
“The growing frustration, disappointment and dissatisfaction of workers over President Rodrigo Duterte’s failure to fulfil a promise have only bonded workers,” KMU and Nagkaisa said.
Long rivals, the federations have formed an alliance after Duterte turned on his promise to end labor only contracting and issue an executive order ending the practice.
KMU and Nagkaisa said their joint May 1 protests are an “historic first.”
“This year’s commemoration of Labor Day will be different. It will be a national day of solidarity and action of leaders, members, allies and supporters of Nagkaisa and KMU and all citizens who have been frustrated over the injustices committed against workers and the Filipino people and government’s continued inaction and negligence,” Nagkaisa and KMU said in a joint statement.
“For two years, we participated in labor summits called for by ( the Department of Labor and Employment), dialogued with the President three times, drafted an Executive Order (EO) on contractualization, negotiated with him through five drafts—all to no avail,” KMU and Nagkaisa said.
The groups said they also intended to engage Congress on the issue but were stopped when informed by Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development chairperson Senator Joel Villanueva that Congress will act based on Malacañang’s ”signal”.
“Now that a directive by way of an EO that would declare direct hiring as the norm has been shelved, the Senate might just follow this lead,” the federations said.
“We are utterly frustrated. Despite our desire to continue sitting at the negotiating table and follow reason, the President has decided on retaining business-as-usual, by siding with local and foreign investors who have no respect for security of tenure,” the groups added.
“(Duterte) has agreed to the false ‘win-win solution’ of (the Department of Trade and Industry) that encourages manpower agency regularization and not direct hiring with the principal employers,” Nagkaisa and KMU said.
In an April 19 press briefing, DOLE secretary Silvestre Bello III said the President will no longer sign an EO but will instead certify as urgent a pending bill in Congress ending contractualization.
KMU earlier said legislators would only ensure such laws would be watered-down and mangled.
Nagkaisa and KMU said protesters will start marching from various points as early as six o’clock in the morning and will converge at Morayta Street at about 10 am before proceeding to Mendiola Tuesday. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
Panoorin ang ikatlong nakakamatay na episode ni Agaw Wen sa kaniyang pagtalakay sa infinite war ng milyun-milyong manggagawa laban sa Endo. Video ng Kilab Multimedia.
(IBON Facts & Figures excerpt)
The demand of progressive workers’ federations for the re-installation of a national minimum wage and pegged at Php750, along with the abolition of the regional wage boards, is an immediate, important and doable step towards making economic growth genuinely inclusive and addressing worsening inequality in the country.
Based on IBON estimates, raising the average daily basic pay from the nationwide average of some Php367.35 to the proposed Php750 national minimum wage transfers just Php448 billion to workers’ pockets – this is only 27.4 percent decrease in profits, which still leaves employers with a significant 72.6 percent (Php1.18 trillion) of their clean profits.
On the other hand, each worker will be able to take home, on average, an additional Php8,364.00 per month.
The amount of profits transferred to workers’ wages was computed based on data from the latest (2014) Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI) of the PSA. The census shows that 35,009 establishments with employment of over 20 or over had Php1.63 trillion in total profits and 4.13 million employees.
The country’s largest corporations and wealthiest families are the most able to absorb the wage hike. In fact, the total cost of proposed Php750 national minimum is only equivalent to 20 percent of the total net worth of the 10 richest Filipinos.
Meanwhile, the government can ensure special support for small producers of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to help them cope with the proposed national minimum wage. This includes immediately providing cheap and easy credit, giving research, development and marketing support, nurturing locally integrated supply chains, and improving their scientific and technological capabilities. (Excerpt from Continuing Wage Depression, IBON Facts & Figures, April 2017.)
By Mark Kevin Reginio
Rainbow-colored flags enlivened the streets as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community joined the massive protest during Monday’s second state of the nation address (SONA) by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Naniniwala kami na andaming ipinangako ni Duterte – na po-protektahan at irerespeto ang karapatan ng LGBT, ang karapatan ng kababaihan at isusulong ang anti-discrimination bill at ordinances. Hindi niya natupad kaya naririto kami para singilin siya,” BAHAGHARI-Metro Manila spokesperson Bernadette Neri said.
More than demanding the president of their representation, the LGBT community also called on Duterte to recognize their basic rights.
A working class LGBT, Alena Lauriua, 19, joined the protest to call on the abolishment of contractualization policies on workers.
“Kaya sumama ako rito dahil ramdam ko ang hirap ng mga mamamayang Pilipino. Maraming pangako ang rehimeng Duterte, sa mga mangggawa na ititigil ang kontraktuwalisasyonat endo (end-of-contract) kung saan ito’y hindi pa naipapatupad sa mga kompanya,” Lauriua said.
Labor secretary Silvestre Bello III last year said the Duterte administration will not allow contractualization among workers. Latest data by the Philippine Statistics Authority however reveals there are about 4.5 million non-regular workers in the country a year into the Duterte presidency.
Lauriua is working at a handicraft company where she receives sub-minimum wages.
Free education
Yan Puno, 15, a youth LGBT, attended the rally to call for free education.
“[Nanawagan po ako para sa] libre at pang-masang edukasyon,” Puno said.
He is also part of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap who recently occupied around 5,000 idled houses in Pandi, Bulacan. But while they were successful in achieving free housing, youth members of KADAMAY still demands free education as a matter of right and state obligation.
Duterte promised the youth of free education for all starting this school year but later retracted saying he first wants to prioritize ‘financially disadvantaged but academically able students.”
Neri hopes the president would fulfill promises he made last year in first SONA, including the continuation of the peace talks with the National Democratic Front as well as ending martial law in Mindanao.
“Kinakailangan na itong mga kagyat na usapin ay makatugon siya ng positibo para sa mamamayan. Kung tumitindig siya para sa mamamayan ay tumitindig din siya para sa mga LGBT,” she said.#
