PR - Workers “die-in” at EDSA then march to Energy Department

PRESS RELEASE

March 14, 2012

In protest against oil price hikes:

Workers “die-in” at EDSA

then march to Energy Department

Some 200 workers from the militant Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) rallied today in front of the Department of Energy office in Taguig. The protest is part of the groups’ campaign against spiraling oil prices and their demand for the end of oil deregulation and for state control of oil prices.

The socialist labor center also condemned the Department of Energy (DOE) for acting as “envoy of the oil oligarchs”. BMP spokesperson Romy Castillo said, “The department displays uncanny energy and enthusiasm when it warns the public against higher local oil prices every time the price of oil spikes in the world market. Their announcements not only condition the minds of the public to accept an oil price hike”.

He added, “More so, it promotes the fallacy that local oil prices automatically correspond to world market prices. Oil companies in the country have a buffer supply for two months. They also overprice their commodities.”

The labor leader pointed out that the price of crude oil in the world market decreased by 17.25%, from $145 per barrel at the height of the 2008 oil crisis to its present level of $120 (Dubai benchmark). During the same period, there was also a decrease in local oil prices but not in proportion to its drop in the global market. Local gasoline and diesel prices decreased by 1.61% and 4.12% respectively, from P59.46/liter to P58.50 (for gasoline) and from P52.44 to P50.28 (for diesel).

If local oil prices truly follow the global market, as asserted by the Energy Department, the BMP concluded, “Local oil prices should have dropped higher than the global decrease of 17.25%. Because the peso-dollar exchange rate is at P42.40:$1, as compared to P44.28:$1 in 2008”.

The labor group also chided the Independent Review Committee set-up by the energy department to review the financial statements of the oil firms. Castillo averred, “The IRC is a toothless tiger, being a recommendatory body. There is also an internal arrangement between the IRC and the department on the non-disclosure to the public of the oil firms’ book of accounts. The IRC was formed to conjure the illusion of transparency as the people’s clamor against overpriced oil prices intensify”.

Before the protest in Taguig, the workers staged a “die-in” at EDSA Guadalupe to highlight the urgency of their demands for government control of oil prices, the removal of VAT on oil, the buy-back of Petron and Energy Development Corporation and the scrapping of the oil deregulation law. The activity stopped traffic for a few minutes as protesters lay down along the country’s busiest thoroughfare. #

Militants seek justice for their comrades in Malaysia

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)

Press Release

March 13, 2012

Militants seek justice for their comrades in Malaysia

Delegations coming from the militant Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) staged a picket rally in front of the Malaysian Embassy to denounce of what they call current trade union repression confronting the Maybank employees in Malaysia.

“We are deeply alarmed and indignant of what is happening now in Malaysia, we want to put an end to this highly condemnable acts of the Maybank Management condoned by its government that is supposed to protect for the benefit of the workers”, Romy Castillo, BMP Deputy Secretary General retorted in his speech during the rally.

Simultaneous with the picket, the group presented a letter addressed to the Prime Minister and was submitted through the Ambassador of the Malaysian Embassy. The letter articulated the issues and demands of the Maybank workers that the group believed should be given immediate attention and resolution.

For his part, Mr. Teody Navea, National Vice President of BMP further articulated that “the Malaysian Government should uphold and respect the rights of the Maybank Workers. Their inability to act on this cases would mean a defiance of the call of the global community to seek justice for the Maybank workers.”

The group vowed to sustain their campaign for support to the Maybank Workers. They are set to release a petition to the Malaysian government to gain support from various sectors in the country. This early, a substantial number of organizations already signified their intention to support the campaign.

The group also firmed up their plans to monitor and continue to engaged in various forms to effect a successful pressure in the international community. (30)

Filipino Workers Letter to Malaysian Prime Minister

March 13, 2012

Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak

Prime Minister of Malaysia

C/o His Excellency Datu Seri’ Ibrahim Saad

Ambassador, Malaysian Embassy

Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City

Warm greetings!

The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (Solidarity of Filipino Workers), one of the biggest labor centers in the Philippines together with its allied organizations is deeply alarmed of the various cases involving some bank employees and extremely concerned of the state of human rights and trade union rights in Malaysia. These are clear violation against the free exercise of every worker in Malaysia.

We condemn the deviously premeditate dismissal of NUBE Vice President, Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen and National Treasurer, Chen Ka Fatt for carrying out trade union activity pursuant to the trade dispute with Maybank Bhd, a Malaysian Government Bank which brings the total number of Malaysian trade union leaders dismissed for trade union activity to an alarming figure of 17 thus far.

Unfortunately, the act of the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources registering the Maybank Berhad sponsored in-house union to represent the very same category of employees represented by NUBE since 1960 is truly unimaginable.

More so, we are sending our strongest condemnation of the actions of the supposed protectors of human rights and trade union rights in Malaysia, the Ministry of Human Resources and Human Rights Commission condoning the violation of human and trade union rights by Maybank Bhd.

We cannot close our eyes seeing our brethren in Malaysia suffering from various injustices to which your country is truly responsible.

In so doing, we urge your Government to immediately resolve the following issues of concern:

1. Reinstate all 17 trade union leaders dismissed for trade union activities given his deteriorating health condition which was committed contrary to the protection accorded to trade unions and its members;

2. Cancel the registration of the management sponsored in-house union immediately;

3. Investigate on the allegations of intimidation, assault and battery of NUBE officials including a lady officer by the Security personnel of Maybank Berhad;

4. Investigate the involvement of Police intimidation and harassment of NUBE official against exercising their right to picket;

5. Investigate the seizure of the NUBE General Secretary’s CPU for no apparent reason;

6. Respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of trade unions and union activists in accordance with international labour norms and the Malaysian laws;

7. Pay back all the salaries of NUBE officials deducted by Maybank for trade union activities;

8. Stop impeding the functioning of NUBE as a trade union;

9. Engage in a respectful and peaceful dialogue to set up and institutionalise mechanisms to respect fundamental human rights in Malaysia and to end the violations which include intimidation, harassment, victimisation and unjust sentencing and dismissals;

As of the moment, our organization is pursuing a sustained campaign to support the struggle of the Maybank employees. We will do our share in projecting the issue in the global arena.

For a start, we are soliciting some support from various sectors in the Philippines through petition and protest letters pressuring your Government to heed the call of the Maybank workers. So far, we have been successful in uniting some of our allies and networks in our efforts to seek help and gain more strength in the fight for the interests and welfare of our fellow brethren in Malaysia.

We will monitor your actions and look forward to hearing about your positive intervention on this very serious matter.

Very truly yours,

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)

Metro East Labor Federation (MELF)

SUPER Federation

Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Lungsod (KPML)

Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon (PMT)

Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM)

Workers picket Senate as impeachment court reconvenes

Workers picket Senate

as impeachment court reconvenes

[PRESS RELEASE, March 12, 2012] Some 50 workers from the militant Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) held a picket at around noon today in front of the Senate building to press for their "DISCLOSE ALL" demand.

BMP spokesperson Romy Castillo said, "We want the full disclosure of all evidences and testimonies – including those disregarded by the prosecution panel. We demand the revelation of dollar accounts, the perks received from Lucio Tan (Philippine Airlines platinum card), and the internal arrangements in government decisions – involving not just CJ Corona but of all high officials in the land”.

Castillo added, “There are those who say that a full disclosure by all government officials is irrelevant to the impeachment case. We dare say that these data are relevant if there is a grain of truth to president Aquino’s statement that the motive of the impeachment process is judicial reforms in accordance to with the regime’s mandate against corruption”.

In particular, the BMP declares that the people expects the “truth to come out regarding corruption and other abuses by government officials”.

But instead, Castillo averred, that the impeachment court – including the prosecution – “did not follow the people’s will because they averted the following: (a) the disclosure of Corona’s bank accounts on the pretext that they are waiting for an interpretation of the Foreign Currency Deposits Act by the high court, (b) the testimony of a PAL executive regarding the perks received by the chief justice, and (c) the internal arrangements on the Court on its decision regarding the TRO of Sec. de Lima’s hold departure order”. Thus, he concluded, “Workers could not help but assume that they are all covering up for themselves because government officials – not just Corona – run on the same modus operandi. The decisive act to dispel our doubts is for all state officials to disclose all public records, if they would not do so, the impeachment process is nothing but an obvious by-product of elite infighting between the Aquino and Arroyo camps". #

Marso 8: Araw ng kababaihan, Araw ng paglaya!

Marso 8: Araw ng kababaihan, Araw ng paglaya!

ni Teody Navea

Ang halaga ng araw ng Marso 8 ay singhalaga ng araw ng Mayo Uno sa hanay ng kababaihan. Matagal nang panahon na di nakakaalpas ang sektor ng kababaihan sa patuloy nitong dinaranas na kaapihan at pagsasamantala. Mangyaring gawin nating krusada ang araw na ito upang imulat ang malawak na bilang ng kababaihan sa tunay na diwa ng okasyong ito di lamang sa ating bansa kundi maging sa buong daigdig.

Ang sektor ng kababaihan sa Pilipinas ay masahol pa ang kalagayan, dahil bukod sa ito’y nabibilang sa mahihirap na bansa ay patuloy pang kinukunsinti ng isang sistemang imbes kakandili sa kanyang interes ay lalo pang nagsasadlak sa kanya sa matinding kaapihan at kahirapan. Patong-patong na dagan ang kanyang dinadala resulta ng samu’t saring isyu’t problema dulot ng kabulukan ng sistemang kapital kung saan ang sektor ng kababaihan ay niyuyurakan ang karapatan at hindi naipagkakaloob ang tunay na interes at kagalingan nito.

Sa gitna ng matinding krisis na kinakaharap ng bansa, ang sektor ng kababaihan ay lalo pang nalulugmok sa kahirapan at kaapihan. Kung kaya’t ang marapat na papel ng sektor ng kababaihan ay patuloy na isulong nito ang kanyang laban upang tuluyang mapawi na ang tunay na ugat ng pagsasamantala. Isang lipunang mangangalaga sa kanyang mga karapatan at kagalingan maging ang mga pangkabuuang serbisyo at proteksiyon bilang sektor ng kababaihan.

Kung gusto nating maunawaan ang mga mahahalagang isyung kinakaharap ng sektor ng kababaihan, ating ilalatag ang mga puntong kailangan nating ipanawagan upang maisakongkreto ang mga kahilingan nito.

Una, ang mga kababaihan ay marapat mapagkalooban ng disente at marangal na trabaho.

Dumarami ang mga kababaihan sa puwersa sa paggawa dahil sa ”flexibilization of labor”. Malaganap ang kontraktwalisasyon kung saan ang sektor ng kababaihan ang siyang napupuruhan. Nagagamit ng mga kapitalista upang lalo pang pagsamantalahan ang kanilang hanay.

Ikalawa, ang mga kababaihan ay patuloy ang dinaranas na kawalang proteksyon at panlipunang serbisyo.

Ang ating bansa ay nahuhuli kung usaping proteksyon ng kababaihan ang pag-uusapan. Ang marapat na pagpapasa ng isang panukalang batas para sa kanyang mga karapatan at kagalingan ay nauunsiyami. Mahigit isang dekada na ang RH Bill sa kongreso ngunit ito’y hindi maipasa hanggang sa kasalukuyan.

Ikatlo, pasan-pasan ng mga kababaihan ang hagupit ng patuloy na pagtaas ng mga batayang bayarin at bilihin.

Ang unang natatamaan sa walang humpay na pagtataas ng presyo ng langis at bilihin ay ang mga kababaihan kung saan sila ang namomroblema sa gastusin sa pang-araw araw. Sila ang pangunahing nagbabadyet at kung papaano nila pagkakasyahin ang maliit na kinikita ng kani-kanilang mga asawa.

Ikaapat, patuloy nilang nararanasan ang samu’t saring diskriminasyon sa iba’t ibang aspeto ng kanilang pamumuhay.

Sa pag-eempleyo, karaniwan nang hindi pantay ang pagtrato sa mga kababaihang manggagawa. Sila ay hindi nabibigyan ng pantay na serbisyo at maging ang mga patakarang umiiral sa mga lugar na kanilang pinagtatrabahuhan ay di umaayon sa kanilang katayuan bilang sektor ng kababaihan. Malaganap pa rin ang kaisipang umiiral sa isang sistema kung saan binibigyang diin ang kapangyarihan ng kalalakihan o sistemang “patriarchal”. Mababa ang pagtingin sa kababaihan at mas pinapahalagahan ang papel ng kalalakihan sa lipunan. Sila ay itinuturing na mga “sex object” o commodity sa ilalim ng lipunang kapitalismo.

Ikalima, karaniwang ang nagiging bunton sa mga dumarating na krisis ay ang sektor ng kababaihan kung saan hindi sila ligtas sa mga pang-aabuso at karahasan.

Ayon sa ilang mga pananaliksik at pag-aaral, marami sa mga kababaihan ang dumaranas ng karahasan sa kanilang mga tahanan bunsod ng epekto ng krisis kung saan ang kanilang mga asa-asawa na nagiging aburido, bugnutin at sila ang napagbubuntunan. Maraming naitatalang mga kababaihang dumaranas ng pambubugbog ng asawa at iba pang samu’t saring porma ng karahasan.

Sa paggunita ng Marso 8, ating balik tanawin ang mga kadahilanan kung bakit natin ipinagdiriwang ito sa kasalukuyan. Sa araw na ito binigyan ng pagkilala ang karapatan ng mga kababaihan kung saan ang karapatan nilang bomoto ay patunay ng pagiging pantay nito sa karapatan ng mga kalalakihan. Ngunit hindi rito nagtatapos ang laban ng kababaihan. Ang tunay na diwa ng emansipasyon sa kababaihan ay di natin makakamit hangga’t ang ating lipunan ay nakapailalim sa bulok na sistemang kapitalismo. Kailangan nating lumaya upang mailatag at maipundar ang isang lipunang sosyalismo kung saan ang adyenda ng sektor ng kababaihan ay nasa unahan.

Mabuhay ang kababaihan! Mabuhay ang uring manggagawa!

* Ang may-akda ang ikalawang pangulo ng sosyalistang organisasyong Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)