Several police and security guards once again violently dispersed union members on strike injuring at least ten in front of a Korean-owned factory this morning.
Armed with firearms, clubs and backed-up with water tanks, several elements of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) police and Jantro security guards violently assaulted union members on strike at the Chong Won Fashion Inc. (CWFI).
The workers, all are members of Nagkakaisang Manggagawa sa Chong Won-Independent or (United Workers at Chong Won) (NMCW-Ind), began on strike at 6am as a result of the management's refusal to negotiate with their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for their increase salary and other benefits. The union members had been staying at the picket line's makeshift tents days before the strike.
This is the latest another incident where the PEZA police and Jantro security guards violently attacked workers on protest and in peaceful assembly. On August 31, union members were likewise injured when they forcibly dismantle the tents the workers built.
One of the union's officers, Flory Arevalo, strongly condemns the dispersing police and security guards for illegally and violently dispersing their picket on peaceful assembly. Ten of those joining the strike were injured. Two of whom were identified as Solomon Noceda and Benigno Terante. One of them fainted during the confrontation but the police and security guards did not bother taking the victim to hospital.
Noceda was repeatedly hit with clubs on the head and kicked all over his body. Terante had his left hand bleeding, bruises on his arms and his back. The two victims said it was the security guards that attacked them.
"They [police and guards] dispersed us in absence of a lawful order from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for us to disperse.
They are armed with guns, clubs while the workers had none. Their action was a complete disregard and a violation of the existing guidelines for them to position 50 meters away," Arevalo said in Tagalog.
At 9:45am, around 40 elements of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority
(Peza) police and Jantro security guards, armed with guns and clubs, started arriving close to the picket line where Chong Won Fashion Inc.
(CWFI) factory is located. A fire truck was dispatched in the area obviously to be used in dispersing the union members on strike.
Under the existing guidelines on strike, police and guards are prohibited from positioning themselves below the 50-meter away from the picket line. Also, the union members having complied with the legal procedures before going on for a strike cannot be dispersed in absence of a lawful court order.
Not only workers at Chong Won Fashion Inc. (CWFI) began strike today, union members of another Korean-owned factory Phils. Jeon Garments Inc.
has also staged their strike simultaneously at 6am. Members of the Kaisahan ng mga Manggagawa sa Phils, Jeon, Inc. (KMPJI-Ind.) went on strike after their company too refused to negotiate with them for their CBA.
The DOLE on November 19, 2005 issued a decision as final and executory proclaiming KMPJI-Ind. as the legitimate bargaining representative. The negotiation, however, have not commence since due to the management's refusal by filing repeated appeals in courts.
This is also similar to the case of the labor union NMCW-Ind. Although the DOLE has declared their union on April 21, 2005 as legitimate bargaining representative the management likewise since refused to negotiate.
Both the labor unions have already exhausted all legal means over the year to convince their management to negotiate with them for their CBAs but have failed since. The factories are operating inside the Cavite Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) in Rosario, Cavite.
Prior to the strike, the management of Chong Won Fashion Inc.
threatened it would either would closed down once the conflict is not resolve. The company's president, Yong Ryul Kim, told union officers to instead cooperate and settle the conflict with him. He added that the company is heavily indebted and urged them to help them pay their debts.
Earlier, the management has distributed leaflets attacking the union and threatened that one of their buyers, US-based Wal-Mart, would pull out their orders once the conflict remains unresolved. The union members hit the Wal-Mart for failing to effectively intervene and washing their hands off from responsibility into the conflict.
A Wal-Mart representative in the Philippines earlier echoed the management's threat of pulling out but later recanted her statement.
Wal-Mart is the biggest retail store in the US and is the principal contractor of factory. Despite this, however, the Wal-Mart is showing reluctance to intervene saying they are not the ones directly dealing the factory but another trading firm One-Step-Up.
When the strike took effect this morning, some newly hired workers of Chong Won Fashion Inc. were already seen starting to report for duty.
The management last week has begun hiring over hundreds of workers obviously as replacement for the union members in preparation for the impending strike.
Meanwhile, union members who joined the strike at the Phils. Jeon Garment Inc. were likewise threatened by the management that they be would declared AWOL (absence without leave). At 7:58am, it is reported that around 139 have already joined the strike while more others are expected to follow.