Manggagawa, Nagrali Laban sa ChaCha ni Belmonte

MANGGAGAWA, NAGRALI LABAN SA CHACHA NI BELMONTE

News from Manila Bulletin

Group slams solons pushing Cha-cha

by Chito A. Chavez

March 12, 2014

A group of militant workers promoting human rights staged a rally in front of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City questioning the ulterior motive of the lawmakers pushing for charter change.

Earlier, several members of the House of Representatives claimed that the main objective of charter change is to attract foreign investors.

Gie Relova, leader of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), slammed the country’s leaders for allegedly lobbying interest on foreign companies.

Last week, the House Committee on Constitutional Reform led by Davao Representative Mylene Garcia-Albano approved House Resolution 1 which seeks to amend the Philippine Constitution.

The resolution also seeks to add the phrase “unless otherwise amended by law” to articles in the Constitution that specify 40 percent limits to foreign ownership of land and businesses, including management of media, franchises to public utilities, and ownership of educational institutions.

The resolution also seeks to augment participation of foreign corporations in developing, exploring, and utilizing lands of public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources.

“We will support Belmonte’s move only if the Speaker and his cohorts will take into account proposals which that will also improve our conditions since undeniably, we are the most productive sector in the economy,” Relova said.

Among the labor sector’s pressing issues include the erroneous wage fixing mechanisms in the form of the regional wage boards, the menace of contractualization which cheapen labor and denies workers job security and the increasing number of unemployed.

“If the only vision of these congressmen is simply to liberalize the economy further without strengthening labor protectionist provisions, this will easily translate to more labor rights violations, more miserable working conditions and more depressing wages. Without winking an eye, labor will be the most organized and staunchest opposition to their plans of selling-out our interests and our families’ lifelines,” Relova added.

News from InterAksyon (ABC 5)

Charter change should also favor workers, not only foreign investors - labor group

By: InterAksyon.com

March 12, 2014

MANILA - House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte’s initiative to amend the Constitution is for foreign investments to come in by relaxing the limits on foreign ownership of land and businesses, but labor groups said any Charter change should also favor workers.

In a statement, Gie Relova, leader of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino said: “The workers are agonizing that our country’s officials are unashamed in their aggressive lobbying for the interests of foreign companies, but what about us? What about our rights? If they plan to amend the Charter, they might as well enhance the labor protection and welfare provisions. Our livelihood and our children’s future are at stake here too.”

Last week, the House Committee on Constitutional Reform led by Davao Representative  Mylene Garcia-Albano approved House Resolution 1 which seeks to add the phrase "unless otherwise amended by law" to articles in the Constitution that specify 40-percent limits to foreign ownership of land and businesses, including management of media, franchises to public utilities, and ownership of educational institutions.

The resolution also seeks to augment participation of foreign corporations in developing, exploring, and utilizing lands of public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources.

‘Right to live decently’

While the present charter “gives equal premium to the ‘right to property’ of the minority capitalists and the majority workers’ ‘right to live decently,’” the accumulation of incredible wealth in the hands of a few “is also the primary hindrance for the millions of workers to live decently,” Relova said.

He was also quick to add that, “We will support Belmonte’s move only if the Speaker and his cohorts will take into account proposals which that will also improve our conditions since undeniably, we are the most productive sector in the economy.”

Among their demands: to fix the erroneous wage fixing mechanisms in the form of the regional wage boards, and to do away with the “menace of contractualization which cheapen labor and denies workers job security and the increasing number of unemployed.”

“Liberalizing the economy further without strengthening labor protectionist provisions will easily translate to more labor rights violations, more miserable working conditions, and more depressing wages,” Relova said.