Blog: Philippines

Arrest of Philippines labor leader denounced

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today condemned the arrest of the union leader at the Carmen Copper Corp. in Toledo City, Cebu, one of the biggest mines in Asia. Tony Cuizon, president of the Panaghiusa sa Mamumuo sa Carmen Copper (PAMCC-AGLO), was arrested last October 25, 2014 in Cavite on the strength of warrants for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Renato Magtubo, PM national chairperson, called for the release of Cuizon, a PM national council member, as the arrest warrants, criminal cases and police raids were in violation of existing guidelines in the conduct of police during labor disputes.

PALEA Back as Regular Workers in Pact with PAL

The union Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (PALEA) hailed a settlement agreement signed today with the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) that provides for the re-employment of some 600 members as regular workers. In a private ceremony in a downtown hotel in Mandaluyong at noon, officers of PAL and PALEA signed the agreement.

Contractualization Slammed in “Global Day of Action”

In addition to commemorating the
anniversary of PALEA’s protest against outsourcing last year, the protests also
pushed for the passage of the security of tenure bill pending at Congress.
“Aside from the reproductive health and freedom of information bills, the
security of tenure measure is also jammed at the legislative mill. This social
reform proposal seeks to restrict the epidemic of contractual work and the
proliferation of 6 months endo jobs,” explained Rene Magtubo, PM national
chair.

Philippines Labor Groups Unite in May Day Mobilization

The imperative to unite and fight for the dignity of workers is the spark for the formation of Nagkaisa which embraces the major labor centers and groups in the Philippines for the first time since the 1980’s. The unity forged among some 40 labor organizations to advance the struggle for immediate and strategic demands is a key component of the renewal and revival of the labor movement. A strong militant labor movement is the foundation for the working class to regain its place as the tribune of the people and vanguard of social change.

Boycott of Philippine Airlines and AirPhil Continues

Founded in 1941, PAL and its unionized workforce have a 65 year history of working together collaboratively to ensure the company’s success. In fact, to help PAL recover from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, its workers agreed to suspend their collective bargaining agreement and accept across the board salary and benefit freezes for more than a decade. To reward its employees' loyalty and sacrifice, in 2009 PAL management announced it would implement a “fire and rehire” outsourcing scheme that would slash workers’ salaries and benefits in violation of the collective bargaining agreement PAL has signed with its workers. The scheme, announced during a routine meeting with elected union leaders, would have allowed the company to illegally fire more than 3,500

Seeking To End Culture of Impunity, United Church of Christ Philippines Brings Suit Against Former President Arroyo

Amid growing concern for the human rights situation the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston visited the Philippines in 2007. He found that in the name counter-insurgency operations against the armed-wing of the Communist Party, the New People’s Army, government killings had “eliminated civil society leaders, including human rights defenders, trade unionists and land reform advocates...”  

Business Tycoon in the Philippines Embroiled In Several Labor Disputes

The Eton 11 case is not the first-time the billionaire business tycoon Tan has been the subject of controversy stemming from the labor policies of one of his companies.  Tan also owns the Philippines Airline (PAL) which been has been involved in a dispute with its employees union, the PALE Employees Association or PALEA, over a plan to lay off nearly 2,600 workers and replace them with outsourced contract workers. In reaction to the very real possibility of a strike by the PALEA the state intervened under the Assumption of Jurisdiction Act placing a ban on the PALEA going on strike, as well as both sides taking actions that would worsen the dispute.

Stop trade-union repression in Dole Philippines’ plantation!

The management takeover of the workers’ union last February 13, 2010 – wherein the management-created UR Dole headed by Francis Gales, orchestrated an illegal “general assembly,” impeached the duly-elected officials of AK-NAFLU-KMU, and replaced the latter with officials from UR Dole – earned vehement protests from throughout the country and the world. Because the move is patently illegal, even the government’s Department of Labor and Employment was forced to call it as such and released a status quo order that nullifies the bogus general assembly and the “impeachment.”  Drunk with arrogance from their seeming invincibility, the Dole Philippines management refused to heed the order.

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