Press Statement - The Thai Crisis is not yet over

Press Statement
May 24, 2010
BMP (Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipno)
Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM)

The Thai Crisis is not yet over

The pronouncement of the Thai government that the crisis is over and that it is now focusing its rebuilding efforts is a superficial move. The casualties produced after a month long turmoil is reminiscent of a country where the basis of dissent is totally remarkable. The players were the poor from the north and northeast of Thailand who protest against the marginalization. The issue goes beyond marginalization but turned into a class war. The crisis is very political in nature and as such requires political solution.

The Thai government must answer the brute force that it employed to the protesters that resulted to the killings of nearly a hundred and wounding over a thousand people. We deplore what the Thai government did after the failed negotiation with the protesters. Undoubtedly, human rights and democracy were the biggest casualties of the conflict.

The Thai government should look into the gross violation of human rights. Being the guilty party, they must be responsible of the horrible military solution applied that only led to chaos and disarray and worst undermined the real essence of civilian supremacy.

Doing a military might solution to resolve the conflict only aggravate the situation. They must root out the very reason of the issue why the people drove this far. There is social injustice that continues to haunt the people of Thailand, a legitimate issue that will never die down for as long as this will not be addressed comprehensively.

Now the Thai government is only taking chances. Rebuilding should mean real upholding of basic human rights, addressing the issue of poverty and marginalization. All forms of government –sponsored violence must be dissolved. The Thai government must concretely review its policies to reach out to those sectors who cry for marginalization, poverty and discrimination.

Similarly this unfortunate incident happened a few years ago in the Philippines where the battle of the poor was also articulated. The EDSA Tres fiasco was regarded an act of rebellion that started with Estrada’s claimed to power but in the end became an issue of class war. No amount of rebuilding can be done to resolve the conflict not unless the government has the political will to go over the issue of marginalization, upholding civil and political rights and adhering the reign of civilian supremacy.

Bukas na liham para sa manggagawa at kababayan sa Pasig

Bukas na liham para sa mga manggagawa at aming kababayan sa Pasig,

Mga kapwa naming manggagawa at kababayang taga Pasig, kami po ay mga manggagawa ng URC sa Rosario at Bagong Ilog na inobliga ng aming management na magpabayad na at tapusin ang aming pagtatrabaho sa kompanya.

Kami po ay 157 lahat, matatagal nang naglilingkod sa URC, mga regular na manggagawa at siyang naging katuwang ng management sa pagpapaunlad ng kanyang kompanya.

Inoobliga kaming magpabayad na dahil redundant na raw ang aming ginagawa o may gumagawa na ng aming trabaho kayat di na kami kailangan.

Ayaw naming magpabayad. Nais pa naming magtrabaho. Nais pa naming tumanggap ng regular na sahod kada akinse at katapusan. Nais pa naming makasama ang aming mga kamanggagawa sa huling mga taon bago ang aming retirement.

Subalit dahil sa pressure ng mga abogado ng management at pang-eengganyo ng Pangulo ng Unyon, marami sa amin ang naobligang magpabayad na. Kami namang ayaw magpabayad ay pinadalhan ng termination paper noong April 23 at pinagtatanggal na rin po kami.

Di po kami nagpapabayad dahil hindi kami naniniwala sa dahilan ng management na redundant na ang aming ginagawa. Dahil kung totoong redundant na, e bakit may pumapalit sa aming pwesto at ipinagpapatuloy ang aming ginagawa?

Hindi rin kami naniniwala sa paliwanag na hindi kami skilled dahil kung totoo ito, hindi kami tatagal ng mahabang panahon sa URC. Isa pa, nahuli namin sa bibig mismo ng abogado ng management nang sabihin niyang “tanggapin na lang namin ang bayad dahil payag naman daw ang management na muli kaming i-hire under AIMKO” (ang labor placement agency cooperative na itinayo ng pangulo ng aming unyon).

Lumalabas hindi po totoo ang dahilan na redundancy, kundi ito ay kontraktwalisasyon! Uubusin ang regular na manggagawa sa URC upang palitan ng contractual. Contractual na minimum lang ang sahod, walang unyon, walang CBA, kapos sa benipisyo at higit sa lahat ay walang karapatan.

Sa ganito nga namang sistema, mas makakatipid at higit na kikita ang management ng URC. Pero bawal po ito! Iligal ang pagtatanggal ng regular para palitan ng contractual. Ito po ay isang anyo ng pagsasamantala sa mga manggagawa kayat ipinagbawal ng batas.

Ito po ang dahilan kung bakit kami ay ayaw magpabayad. Kung bakit kami ay lumalaban. Nais naming ituwid ang baluktot at itama ang mali. Nangangamba kami na kung lahat ay mananahimik at walang lalaban, magpapatuloy ang ilegal na tanggalan ng mga regular na manggagawa upang palitan ng kontraktwal.

Kaya't nagpasya na po kaming lumaban kahit alam naming mahirap. Dahil naniniwala kami na kapag sobra na ay kailangan ng labanan.

Kung bago at maliit pa sanang kompanya ang URC ay madaling unawain, subalit isang dambuhalang negosyo na ang URC. Pang-apat na sa pinakamayamang negosyante sa Pilipinas. Ano pa ba naman ang kailangan niyang patunayan, para kaming mga regular na manggagawa ay pagtatangggalin pa at alisan ng ikabubuhay?

Kaya't hiling namin sa management na ibalik kami sa trabaho. Lingunin naman ang mahabang panahong tapat naming paglilingkod sa URC. Di naman sila nalulugi at patuloy pa ngang kumikita. Hintayin na lang sana ang aming pagreretire.

Hiling naman namin sa inyo mga kababayan at kapwa namin manggagawa ang inyong pag-unawa at suporta sa aming pakikipaglaban.

Itigil ang pagtanggal sa mga regular na manggagawa!

Itigil ang kontraktwalisasyon!

Ibalik ang mga manggagawang tinanggal!

URC 41
Mayo 18, 2010

Bukas na Liham ng Victoria Manufacturing Corporation Workers Union

Bukas na liham para sa aming kapwa manggagawa at kababayan.

Lahat po ng paraan upang maiwasan ang welga ay ginawa na namin. Sinulatan namin ang management , humingi ng pakikipag-usap, lumapit na rin kami sa Department of Labor, Subalit sadyang ayaw pakinggan ng may-ari ang aming kahilingan. Ipinakiki-usap namin na ibalik ang anim na araw naming pasok sa loob ng isang linggo.

Sa ngayon po ay pinagtatrabaho na lang kami ng aming kompanya ng isa (1) hanggang tatlong (3) araw kada isang lingo. Nagsimula po ang ganito naming sitwasyon noong pang nakaraang taon, noon pang bagyong ondoy , nang ilubog ng baha ang aming pabrika.

Inunawa po namin ang kompanya, tinanggap namin sa mahabang panahon ang paminsan minsan na lang na pag pasok sa trabaho dahil nga sa pinsalang dulot ng bagyong Ondoy. Tumulong kami sa pagkukumpuni ng mga makinang nasira at paglilinis ng buong pabrika upang maibalik sa normal na operasyon.

Nagbunga ang aming pagtutulungan, napatakbo ang maraming makina, nagbalikan na ulit ang mga pangunahing customer, sapat na ang gawain sa loob upang mabigyan ng tuloy tulkoy na trabaho ang lahat ng mga manggagawa.

Subalit ang malungkot, ang pumasok na trabaho na dapat kami ang gumagawa ay inilabas ng pabrika at ipinagawa sa iba. Pati ang dating gawaing ginagampanan ng dalawang tao ay pilit na ipinapaako sa isa na lamang manggagawa. Ito po ang dahilan kung bakit hanggang sa ngayon ay 1 hanggang 3 araw pa rin ang pasok kada isang lingo.

Mabigat na po ang ginawa naming pagtitiis sa nakalipas na pitong (7) buwan. Pagtitiis sa 1 hangang 3 araw na sweldo kada linggo. Apektado na po hindi lamang ang pag-aaral ng aming mga anak kundi maging ang kalusugan ng aming pamilya.

Mas lalong bumibigat at gumuguhit ang hapdi sa aming dibdib sa tuwinang makikita naming ang trabahong dapat kami ang gumagawa ay ipapatrabaho sa iba. Ito po ay mali at alam na alam di ng management na ito ay labag sa batas.

Unfair Labor Practice po ang tawag sa pag contract- out ng trabaho. Ito ay ipinagbabawal ng batas paggawa. Hindi ito pwedeng itama nang katwirang masnakakamura sya sa mga kontraktwal na taga labas dahil ito mismo ang dahilan kung bakit ipinagbabawal. Pinahihintulutan lamang ang Contrating –out ng trabaho kung sobra- sobra at di kayang tapusin sa takdang panahon ng kanyang sariling manggagawa.

Dahil po dito, kahit alam naming mahirap, nagpasya po kaming mag Welga, suungin ang napaka- init na panahon sa picket line upang itama ang maling ginagawa ng management at ipaglaban ang aming karapatan at kabuhayan.

Panawagan namin sa aming management na huwag ilabas ang trabahong dapat kami ang gumagawa at ibalik sa anim na araw ang aming pasok!

Hiling naman namin ang inyong pang-unawa at suporta sa aming ipinakikipaglaban.

Mabuhay po kayo at mabuhay ang uring manggagawa.

Victoria Manufacturing Corporation Workers Union.

CHR's De Lima on Goldilocks Workers' Strike

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

On the Occasion of the Forum on the Recently Concluded Goldilocks Strike

Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation Auditorium, Quezon City
20 April 2010

Keynote Speech delivered by

LEILA M. DE LIMA
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines

HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE
ON THE RIGHT TO WORK

I. The Culture of Impunity

A. Abuses by Government

One of the things that we at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) continue to condemn is the culture of impunity which prevails in the Philippines. Activists have been abducted and killed, detainees have been tortured, and community members have been coerced, intimidated and injured, and yet in many cases the perpetrators of these abuses have not been caught, prosecuted or convicted.

B. Abuses by Companies

The culture of impunity protects not just violations on the part of government, however, but also abuses carried out or colluded in by private companies and their managers. Employees have been illegally terminated, legitimate unions have been undermined, and companies have blatantly refused to provide their workers with the benefits required by law. Even if these violations are expressly punished in the Labor Code of the Philippines and human rights law, too many firms and employers continue to evade meaningful accountability.

Impunity rewards those who commit violations, and sends the deplorable message that the powerful, the well connected and the wealthy, are able to place themselves above the law. This impunity is appalling and unacceptable, but every once in a while, we witness a situation which demonstrates that even the wealthy can be compelled to adhere to the law, that even the well connected do not always get their way, and that a concerted, sustained and principled effort on the part of employees, can force even the powerful to take heed and change their stance.

Ang kawalan ng pagpataw ng hustisya sa mga taong lumalabag sa mga karapatang pantao, ay nagbibigay ng nakababahalang mensage na ang mga may kapangyarihan, may koneksyon, at may kayamanan, ay hindi napapailalim sa batas. Ang sitwasyong ito ay hindi nararapat at hindi katanggap-tanggap. Subalit kahit na ganito ang madalas na nangyayari, paminsan-minsan may mga pagkakataon na kahit ang mga mayayaman ay napipilitang sumunod sa batas, na hindi lahat ng kagustuhan ng mga may koneksyon ay palaging nasusunod, at sa pamamagitan ng patuloy at sama-samang pakikibaka ng mga empleyado, kahit ang mga makapangyarihan ay napipilitang makinig at magbago.

It is these victories against the culture of impunity which reveal that accountability is still possible in our country, and that impunity is not necessarily the ultimate fate of our nation. The successes which take place validate our efforts, refocus our energies and renew our hope. And the recent positive outcome of the strike against the Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc., is one such example.

II. The Successful Outcome of the Strike Against Goldilocks

Therefore, allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate the Bukluran ng Independenteng Samahan na Itinatag sa Goldilocks–Association of Genuine Labor Organization–Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, or BISIG-AGLO-BMP.

The courage you demonstrated in the face of hardship and intimidation will embolden other human rights advocates suffering from difficult circumstances. Your commitment to standing up for your rights, in the face of fierce at at times acrimonious resistance from management, will help bolster the collective will of local advocates and diminish doubt, especially during those moments when the human rights landscape appears to be particularly bleak. And the principled manner in which you acted, on the whole, offers a template for future action on behalf of workers and their human rights. For your courage, your commitment and your principled stand, we at the CHR thank you.

Ang tapang na pinakita ng BISIG-AGLO-BMP, sa harap ng hirap at pananakot, ay makakadagdag sa tapang ng ibang mga nakikibaka para sa mga karapatang pantao. Ang patuloy ninyong paninindigan para sa inyong mga karapatan ay makakapagbigay-kumpyansa sa ibang mga tao at organisasyon, lalo na kapag nawawalan na sila ng loob at pagtiwala. At ang malinis na paraan ng inyong paninindigan, habang nagaganap ang negosasyon at ang pagtigil ng trabaho, ay maaaring magsilbing halimbawa sa ibang mga organisasyon at unyon, habang sila rin ay naninindigan para sa kanilang kapakanan. Dahil sa inyong tapang, paninindigan at malinis na pakikibaka, kami sa CHR ay nagpapasalamat sa inyo.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank the other organizations which contributed to this positive outcome, and which continue to advocate for the human rights of workers. Let me thank the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, the Urban Missionaries, the Philippine NGO-PO Network on ESC Rights, and all the other individuals and institutions which lent their support to the striking Goldilocks employees, and which exerted pressure on management to adjust its stance.

Human rights advocates often find that a formidable array of interests and resources are brought to bear in order to continue to undermine people’s rights and maintain the status quo. This is why we seek to more closely coordinate our efforts and cooperate with one another. And this is why the CHR continues to extend its support to those persons and organizations who are working to improve the conditions faced by workers and employees.

Before I proceed to discuss some of the lessons which surfaced during the strike against Goldilocks, let me first go through some of the human rights of workers which we seek to protect, which companies must be made to recognize and respect, and which must be further and more fully disseminated to workers and employees.

III. Some of the Human Rights Related to Work

A. Freedom of Association

All persons have the right to freedom of association. People have the right to form and join trade unions, and the right to strike. Therefore, companies must not discriminate against workers because of their union membership. Employers and employees must negotiate in good faith. And management must not prevent union membership, restrict participation by workers in unions, and must ensure that their actions do not undermine legitimate organizations.

Ang lahat ng tao ay may karapatan na mapayapang makipagpulong at magsama. Ang bawat tao ay may karapatang magtatag at sumali sa unyon, upang mapangalagaan ang kanilang kapakanan. Hindi maaaring baguhin ang pagtrato sa isang empleyado dahil lamang siya’y bahagi ng isang unyon. Ang kompanya at ang mga empleyado ay dapat na makipag-usap at makipag-ayos sa paraang malinis at tapat. Hindi maaaring ipagbawal o pahirapan ng kompanya ang pagsanib o pakikilahok sa unyon, at hindi ito maaaring gumawa ng aksyon na nagpapahina dito.

B. Freedom from Discrimination

All persons have the right to live free from discrimination on the basis of such things as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Companies must not engage in this type of discrimination when deciding who to recruit, how much to pay, who to train, who to promote, and so on.

C. Freedom of Opinion and Expression

All persons have the right to freedom of opinion and expression. These rights must be respected, and companies must not unfairly persecute employees on the basis of opinions they hold, or the ideas or sentiments that they express.

D. The Right to Just and Favorable Conditions of Work, and an Adequate Standard of Living

All persons have the right to enjoy just and favorable conditions of work. Employees must be paid wages which are fair, and sufficient to enable a decent living for themselves and their families. Workers have the right to adequate food, water, clothing and housing. And employees have the right to healthy and safe conditions at work, as well as adequate rest and leisure.

Ang lahat ng tao’y may karapatang magtrabaho, at ang kanilang trabaho ay dapat na makatarungan at kanais-nais. Ang binabayaran sa mga empleyado ay dapat na makatarungan din, at makakatiyak ng antas ng buhay para sa kanila at sa kanilang pamilya, na nararapat sa karangalan ng isang tao. Sila’y may karapatan sa sapat na pagkain, tubig, pananamit at paninirahan. At ang mga empleyado’y may karapatan sa sapat na pamamahinga at paglibang.

Now, these are only a number of the human rights of workers, which the government must protect and businesses must respect. These rights are not just found in local legislation, but also in international law. These rights are not mere guidelines or suggestions. Instead, these are duties which the government and companies must carry out, or else they will be in breach of their international obligations.

IV. Some of the Lessons Learned from the Strike

I am certain that many lessons were learned over the course of this strike, especially by those who were at the front lines, and who witnessed the changing developments on the ground firsthand. From my perspective, there were certain key strengths and factors which appear to have substantially contributed to the success of the endeavor.

A. Knowledge of the Law

In the documents released to the public by the striking Goldilocks employees, one of the statements made explained that even if the workers themselves are not lawyers, they studied the Labor Code and learned about their human rights. This, I believe is important, because what is clear is that the company and management have the ability to hire lawyers to represent their cause, and some of the officers of the corporation may themselves in fact be lawyers. This access to legal representation favors employers because they know what is found in the law, they know what the Labor Code says, they know their rights, and they have the ability to use the legal process to defend their rights.

Workers, on the other hand, tend to have much more limited access to lawyers and legal representation, because these services are usually quite costly. In the case of the Goldilocks employees, however, they were not content to merely accept that management would have the upper hand in this area. Instead, the employees took action. They educated themselves on the law and their rights, and this had a concrete effect on how they conducted themselves during the strike.

Since the workers had knowledge of the law, they could better ensure that their actions during the strike would not violate the Labor Code and other relevant legislation. If they had ended up violating the law, out of lack of knowledge and inadvertence, then the management would have been able to use this to claim that the workers were engaging in illegal activity. When the workers made sure that their actions were in line with the law, this helped prevent the company from using the provisions of the law against the striking employees.

Dahil inaral ng mga empleyado ang nakasaad sa batas, mas nasigurado nila na ang kanilang mga ginagawa, habang nagaganap ang pagtigil ng trabaho, ay hindi lumalabag dito. Mahalaga ito dahil kung sakaling may nagawang paglabag sa batas ang kahit isang manggagawa, siguradong gagamitin ito ng kumpanya laban sa unyon. Subalit dahil alam ng mga manggagawa kung ano ang bawal at kung ano ang hindi, hindi magamit ng kumapanya ang nilalaman ng batas laban sa kanila.

Also, since the workers knew their rights, they could more strongly and more effectively call on the company to fulfill these rights. Again, human rights are not mere guidelines or suggestions. They are obligations which must be fulfilled, and by being able to identify these obligations of management, the workers were able to use the framework of the law, and especially human rights law, to compel the company to agree to their demands.

Dahil alam ng mga empleyado kung ano ang kanilang mga karapatang pantao, nakatulong ito sa paghiling sa mga nagpapatakbo ng negosyo, na gampanan nila ang kanilang mga tungkulin sa mga manggagawa. Mahalagang alalahanin na ang mga karapatang pantao ay mga obligasyon ng dapat tuparin ng mga nangangasiwa ng kumpanya. Dahil alam ng mga empleyado kung ano ang nilalaman ng mga tungkuling ito ng kumpanya, lalong nagamit ng mga manggagawa ang batas, lalo na ang batas tungkol sa mga karapatang pantao, upang pilitin ang kumpanya na sumang-ayon sa kanilang mga hiling.

Far too often we have seen how the scales are tilted in favor of employers and against employees, in the area of legal knowledge and access to legal mechanisms. This did not happen as much in the case of the Goldilocks employees, because of their hard work and efforts, which is something that should be lauded.

B. Use of the Mainstream Media and New Media

One of the other statements to come out of the striking employees noted that the company has the resources to buy paid ads in major newspapers in order to inform the public regarding their side of the story. As a result, the workers issued appeals, calling on members of the mainstream media to also cover their stories, their allegations, and their version of what truly transpired.

The quality of writing which went into the documents issued by the striking employees was impressive. Labor disputes can be complicated subjects, and it can be difficult to explain the roots of particular disagreements, the reasons to favor one side over the other, the manner in which one party is alleged to have violated the law and human rights, and the other facts which help to explain what is truly going on. Sometimes, the justness of a particular side hinges on certain details or certain nuances, which can be difficult to convey to a wider audience. But the striking workers did a very good job of explaining their side of the story, so that even if their dispute with Goldilocks involved quite a number of issues and a somewhat convoluted timetable, from a reader’s point of view, it was very possible to understand why exactly the workers felt that they had to go on strike.

And the workers did not stop at issuing these statements. They made express requests to the mainstream media to balance the paid advertising done by the management, with coverage of their concerns and experiences. And it appeared to work, given that there have been quite a number of articles in the newspapers, detailing the dispute and providing greater context by citing the statements made by the employees.

So here, the workers could have simply given up upon being confronted by the paid ads of the company, since they did not have the resources to take out an ad in the newspaper themselves. But instead of giving up, they found a way to help level the playing field, by appealing to the sense of justice and fair play of reporters and other media practitioners.

The workers did not stop there, however. Instead, they went beyond the mainstream media and took their statements and their voices into the new media, namely the internet. Through blogs, Facebook and other social media sites, the striking employees were able to take their stories and address them directly to the public at large. And by doing so, they were able to more effectively appeal to the public to take note of their plight, to support their endeavor, to disseminate information regarding the facts of the dispute, and to apply pressure on Goldilocks by boycotting the company’s products, or at least reducing consumption thereof. This use of new media also allowed striking workers to take some small comfort from the fact that out there, there were individuals who now knew about their struggle, and who wished them a successful outcome, so the use of the internet benefited the employees at the personal level as well.

The internet has always held much potential for those of us who advocate on behalf of human rights, because it offers a very inexpensive way of reaching out, not only to the rest of the country, but also to the rest of the world, almost at the speed of thought, in order to disseminate news on the true nature of human rights protection in the Philippines. Such dissemination can be even more potent, where advocates do not merely report developments using text, but accompany it with pictures and video. The strike against Goldilocks offers a concrete example of just how useful and powerful the internet can be, especially when those who avail of it possess fewer resources than those on the other side.

C. The Power of Concerted Effort

Finally, one other lesson which surfaced during the strike is the effectiveness of having the workers ally with other like-minded individuals and organizations, in order to advocate for their rights. It may very well be very difficult for a union, acting on its own, to convince management to agree to its demands. The company may simply choose to ignore the claims of workers, secure in the belief that in the end, the workers will succumb. But when the workers find allies, not only in other unions, but in organizations outside of the traditional labor movement, the number of people supporting the union can reach a critical mass of persons who can no longer be safely ignored by management. When calls for product boycotts become credible because of the number of people involved, and when the press begins to pick up on these stories, again because so many people are disseminating them and informing others regarding the situation on the ground, then the pressure applied on management might end up being enough to compel them to adjust their bargaining positions.

It almost goes without saying that a union allied with other organizations will fare much better than a union operating on its own. The strike against Goldilocks offered eloquent evidence of this, and affirmed the need for those of us who advocate on behalf of the rights of workers, to band together and combine our efforts, so that we can be more effective in bringing about substantial change.

V. Conclusion/Final Words

The positive outcome experienced by the BISIG-AGLO-BMP is an encouraging sign for the effort to protect the rights of workers in the Philippines. This hard-fought victory demonstrates that even with all the vested interests allied against the human rights effort, and even if many individuals continue to work to undermine the rights of labor, the continuing struggle does have the potential to bring about real change.

Ang tagumpay na nakamtan ng BISIG-AGLO-BMP ay isang pangyayaring nagpapasigla sa pagsisikap nating ipagtanggol at pangalagaan ang mga karapatan ng mga empleyado sa Pilipinas. Pinapakita ng tagumpay na ito na kahit na napakarami ng mga gustong humadlang sa adhikain natin, at kahit na maraming nagsisikap upang hindi magampanan ang mga karapatan ng mga empleyado, ang ginagawa nating paninindigan at pakikibaka ay maaari pa ring makaresulta sa tunay na pagbabago.

At habang patuloy kayong naninindigan, patuloy rin ang pagsuporta sa inyong pakikibaka ng Komisyon ng Karapatang Pantao. Salamat po sa inyong lahat.

polyeto for Mayo Uno

Gobyerno ng Masa
hindi ng mga trapo at elitista

Gugunitain natin ang Mayo Uno sa taong ito sa gitna ng nagsasalimbayang pangangampanya ng mga kandidato para sa pwesto sa gobyerno mula konsehal ng bayan hanggang pangulo sa Malakanyang. Lahat ay nangangakong sila ay magiging matinong lingkod ng bayan kapag nahalal, lalabanan ang kurapsyon, tatapusin ang kahirapan, magiging tapat na kakampi ng mahihirap at kung anu-ano pang linya ng pagpapahayag na nag-i-enganyong sila ay iboto ng mamamayan.

Kasinungalingang lahat! Wala sa sino man sa mga tradisyunal na kandidato at partidong nangangampanya ngayon ang may kakayanang mabago ang kalagayan ng mga manggagawa, nang dumaraming bilang ng mga maralita at ng masang anakpawis. Sapagkat, ipagpag mo man ng ilang beses ang kanilang plataporma ay di mo makikita ang pagtuligsa sa kapitalistang sistema bilang syang pinag-uugatan ng kahirapan at kaapihan ng masa ng sambayanan.

Ni ang pagsuporta sa mga ipinapanawagang reporma upang maibsan man lamang ang hirap na dinaranas ng mamamayan ay di nila magawa. Wala ni isa sa mga kandidatong presidente ngayon ang nagsasalita laban sa problemang kontraktwalisasyon, demolisyon, oil deregulation law, pribatisasyon, liberalisasyon at sa automatic appropriation. At lalong wala sa mga “prominenteng partido” ang nagpapanukala na baligtarin na ang Neo-liberal na patakarang pang-ekonomiya na isinalaksak sa ating bayan ng mga dambuhalang kapitalista sa daigdig.

Ang mga nabangit na usapin sa itaas ang ekspresyon ng kapitalistang pagsasamantala sa mga manggagawa at mamamayang Pilipino. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit lumiit na nang todo ang bilang ng mga regular na manggagawa, lumaganap ang mga manggagawang kontraktwal na kapos sa sahod, benepisyo, di tuloy tuloy ang trabaho at wala halos karapatan. Ito rin ang dahilan ng walang awang pagwasak sa mga tahanan ng mga kapatid nating maralita at pagkasadlak sa kagutuman at kaapihan ng maraming mamamayan sa lunsod man o kanayunan.

Kaya’t ang kawalan ng tindig sa mga isyung ito ng mga kandidato ngayon sa pagkapresidente at ng kani-kanilang partido ay ebidensya na walang mapapakinabang ang masa ng sambayanan sa eleksyong ito, sino man sa kanila ang manalo.

Ang mas masama, ang mismong inaasam ng mamamayan na mapalitan na si Gloria Arroyo ay di pa rin syento por syiento, dahil hanggang sa ngayon wala pa ring tigil ang kampo ni Arroyo sa pagmamaniobra para makapanatili sa pwesto. Maugong ang usapin ng Failure of Election! Ang secret deal ng kampo ni Villar at Arroyo (Villaroyo) kasabay ng nabubulgar na mga maniobra bilang paghahanda sa malawakang pandaraya, bago at sa aktwal na halalan.

Anu’t ano man ang kalalabasan, matuloy man o hindi ang eleksyon, walang mapapala ang masang Pilipino. Dahil ito ay labanan lamang sa pagitan ng mga elitistang partido! Kaya’t iikot lamang sa sirkulo ng makakapamayaning partido ang anumang yamang lilikhain ng sambayanan sa darating na anim na taon. Hindi malulutas ang kurapsyon. Hindi malulutas ang kahirapan at ang kaapihang kinasasadlakan ng sambayanan.

Magiging katulad lang sila ng 14 na nagdaang mga presidente at partido na namuno sa gobyerno. Natapos ang kani-kanilang termino nang hindi naresolba ang problema bagkos ay lumala pa. Ito’y sapagkat laban sa kanilang interes, laban sa interes ng kanilang pamilya at laban sa interes ng mga kasapi ng kanilang partido ang totoong solusyon sa problema ng masang Pilipino.

Laban sa kanilang interes na pataasin ang sahod ng mga manggagawa, ipamahagi sa mga magsasaka ang malalawak na lupaing kanilang pag-aari, itigil ang demolisyon, itigil ang oil deregulation law, itigil na ang pagbabayad sa maanomalyang utang sa mga dambuhalang bangko at institusyong pampinansya at ipwesto ang mga lider ng masa sa gobyerno at hindi ang mga elitista. Ito ang panimulang solusyon para sa pagbabago na kailanman ay di nila gagawin.

Hindi sila kundi tayo ang may pinakamatibay na dahilan upang isulong ang pagbabago. Ito ay magagawa natin sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalawak at pagpapalakas ng ating sariling partido, ng pagpaparami ng mga kasapi ng ating partido na uukupa ng pwesto sa loob ng gobyerno at ng ating tuloy-tuloy na pakikibaka para wakasan ang elitistang pulitika at itayo ang Gobyerno ng Masa.

Lumahok sa ating pagkilos sa Mayo Uno. Gamitin natin ang araw na ito upang irehistro ang ating sariling agenda, ang ating totoong kahilingan para sa kagalingan ng masang manggagawa at maralita.

Mabuhay ang uring manggagawa! Mabuhay ang masang anakpawis!

BMP-KPML-SUPER-MELF-PMT
Abril 19, 2010

BMP Official Statement on the Goldilocks Strike

BMP Official Statement on the Goldilocks Strike
March 27, 2010

Yesterday, the 16th day of Goldilocks Strike was a victorious day for the Goldilocks Workers. It was truly a remarkable day for the workers who made a milestone in pursuing their basic right to strike and successfully forged an agreement with the management to break the impasse.

Through the conciliatory efforts of the Department of Labor and Employment, both parties agreed to end the strike on the basis of the following;

1. Effective March 27, the day after the lifting of the strike, status quo for all striking workers should be enforced without any sanctions.
2. For the 94 illegally dismissed striking workers, they are all payroll reinstated upon the lifting of the strike and will take effect until the Court of Appeals has finally ruled on the motion for reconsideration filed by Buklod on the issue of Certification Election and another 60 days time frame for the execution of the said ruling. In the event that the time frame for the implementation of the Certification Election will not be realized, a negotiation for the extension of the time frame would then be decided by both parties. Payroll reinstatement covers not only their salary but also all the benefits due them as regular employee.
3. For the purpose of pursuing a speedy implementation of Certification Election, a special body would be created composed of selective officials from the BLR-DOLE.
4. No retaliatory actions by both parties will be observed.

The Goldilocks strike added a new dimension to the present day struggle of the Filipino workers. For nearly a decade now, the Filipino workers in general were totally devastated as to the ill effects of the onslaught of globalization. Despite the threats and hardships, the Goldilocks workers stood their ground and their courage taught us a lesson that nothing is impossible for as long as you exercise your right on just grounds.

The Goldilocks workers proved that they can withstand the long and tedious strike, fought and frustrate the attempts of the management to break their ranks and lastly, their grim determination to win and openness to all forms of struggle.

We from the BMP (Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino) salute the bravery of the Goldilocks workers. We believe that what they have done will usher a new complexion for the struggle of the Filipino workers.

We also commend the undying support from all our friends, allies and network in the labor front as well as those from various sectors, groups and institutions that one way or another helped us achieve total victory for the Goldilocks workers.

Ang naganap na panggugulo sa piketlayn ng Goldilocks

Ang naganap na panggugulo
sa picket line ng GOLDILOCKS

Noong Marso 19, ganap na ika 10:30 ng umaga, nilusob ng mga gwadya, lider ng talunang unyon at drivers ang mapayapang piket ng mga manggagawang kaanib ng unyon ng BISIG. Lumusob sila na may mga tali sa kanilang ulo at braso, nasa unahan nila ang dalawang closed van na puno ng iskerol at sa likuran ng unang van ay mga panatiko ni Junny Gachitorena (presidente ng natalong unyon) na may hawak na mga bato.

Nang harangin ng mga nagpipiket na manggagawa ang van sa harapan ng gate ng kompanya, isa sa panatikong lider ng Buklod ang kaagad dumukot ng buhangin sa kanyang bulsa at buong lakas na isinaboy sa mukha ng mga humarang na manggagawa. Ito ang naging hudyat ng sunod sunod na pambabato ng mga panatikong nakatago sa likuran ng van.

Walong manggagawa mula sa hanay ng nagpipiket ang kaagad tinamaan at nasugatan. Naobligang gumanti ang mga nagpipiket upang hadlangan ang tuloy tuloy na paglusob ng mga bulag na taga sunod ng management at ni Junny Gachetorena.

Kinukundina namin ang ginawang paglusob dahil;

Una, ligal ang nagaganap na welga! Tumalima ang unyong BISIG sa mga prosesong kinakailangan batay sa kahingian ng isinampang kaso. Patunay rito ang di paglalabas ng DOLE ng kautusang buwagin ang piketline.

Ikalawa, may nagaganap na conciliation sa DOLE sa pagitan ng unyon ng BISIG at mga abogado ng Management. Isang mapayapang solusyong pinagsisikapang panaigin ng mga nag-uusap kasama ang DOLE.

Ikatlo, kinukundina namin ang isang bungkos na mga panatikong nagsabog ng buhangin at nagpaulan ng bato sa piketline. Gayong alam na alam nila na maraming bata at asawa ng mga manggagawa ang nasa piketline.

Asawa at anak na dun na natutulog, kumakain dahil mahigit isang buwan na silang inalisan ng kabuhayan mula nang sila ay iligal na tinanggal sa trabaho noong Pebrero 8.

Ikaapat, kinukundina rin namin ang kapulisan ng Mandaluyong na hinayaang lumusob ang mga panatiko at makapanakit, gayong nakapwesto naman sila sa iisang lugar kasama ng mga panatiko bago lumusob. Salitang “hinayaan” na lang ang aming ginamit at hindi ang nabalitaan naming sila mismo ang nag-utos sa mga panatiko.

Ikalima, kinukundina rin namin si Junny Gachitorena na matapos isubo ang isang bungkos niyang mga panatiko ay kumaripas ng takbo, uminom ng shake at nagpalamig sa loob ng Pure Gold habang nakikipagbuno ang kanyang mga tauhan.

Itigil ang kultura ng pananakit at pagpatay sa mga manggagawa ng Goldilocks!

Ibalik sa trabaho ang mga manggagawang iligal na tinanggal!

Ihinto ang planong pagtatangal sa iba pang mga regular na manggagawa!

Wakasan na ang pag-eempleyo ng kontraktwal na manggagawa!

BISIG-AGLO-BMP