Some 1,000 members of the largest coalition of labor unions and workers’ organization called Nagkaisa held a protest rally in Mendiola today to denounce contractualization and outsourcing scheme amid its growing prevalence today to express our continuing opposition against the impunity and rampant practice of contractualization and outsourcing work schemes in the country,” said Rene Magtubo, chairman of Partido Manggagawa.
“We also gather here today to express our solidarity with various other labor federations and workers’ cause-oriented groups in 42 other cities in the world on this Global Day of Action in denouncing the workers’ nemesis also known in private as job contracting, 5-5-5 or “Endo”. In government workers, this is popularly known as job orders,” he added.
It is estimated there are 9 out of ten workers in malls, export processing zones and industrial parks across the country are employed for only five months. The same scheme is imposed by private companies on more than 400,000 work force in call centers and other business process outsourcing companies.
“As we speak, there are about thousands of them about to be laid off following the termination of their individual five month contract or expiration of job orders without any benefits, or bargaining power,” said Alan Tanjusay, advocacy officer of the Associated Labor Unions-TUCP.
“This endless cycle of work flexibilization set in motion by heartless capitalists must be brought to an end. We, members of Nagkaisa, are here today to renew our vow in opposing contractualization or outsourcing—we will never throw in the towel, we will fight it until the end,” he added.
Launched on April, the Nagkaisa is a coalition of 47 major labor centers, federations and workers’ organizations on various modern day anti-labor and anti-worker issues.
Convenors of the NAGKAISA includes AFW, AGLO, AIWA-SENTRO, ALU-TUCP,APL-SENTRO, APSOTEU-TUCP,ATU-TUCP, BMP,CIU,CLASS-TUCP,FCCU-SENTRO,FFW,KAMAGFI, KAMAO-SENTRO, KILUSAN-TUCP, KKKP-TUCP, LIBO-SENTRO, MAKABAYAN, MARINO-SENTRO, NABU-SENTRO, NAFLU, NAMAWU, NCL,NCTU-SENTRO, NUPP-TUCP, NUWHRAIN-SENTRO, PALEA-TUCP, PEUP-SENTRO, PGEA-TUCP, PIGLAS-SENTRO, PILLU-TUCP, PIPSEA-SENTRO, PM, PMA-SENTRO, PSLINK, PTGWO-TUCP, TESDA-ACE,VIMCOMTU-TUCP, WSN-SENTRO.
The group is pushing for the approval of security of tenure bill now pending in the Senate and in the House of Representatives. The bill proposes that a contractual employee can become regular after he/she has rendered six months of duty and become entitled to the privileges of regular employees.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Workers rights sold out in Aquino-ADB sweetheart deal
THE NAGKAISA, the broadest coalition of Philippine trade unions, held a lightning rally near the PICC to denounce the full-scale privatization program of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, dubbed as “Public Private Partnership,” as a complete sell-out of consumer interests and workers’ rights.
NAGKAISA described the ongoing Asian Development Bank conference in PICC, Manila as the final nail on the coffin in which to bury consumers’ protection and workers rights, as Aquino uses the affair as a stage to accelerate the transfer ownership of all remaining power, healthcare and local water assets of the Philippine government to private investors.
Workers belonging to different groups within the coalition waved banners and placards as they attempted to deliver their own messages while Aquino was making his speech before hundreds of foreign delegates.
NAGKAISA linked the ADB privatization agenda and the Administration’s flagship Public Private Partnership to Aquino’s May 1 Labor Day speech, where he practically told workers petitioning for better workers protection, by supporting their security of tenure bill, to drop dead.
He also essentially discredited the pending congressional wage increase proposal by erroneous computation during a Labor Day dialogue that never was.
Aquino even cited cheaper labor in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, without comparing the cost of living in those countries with that of the Philippines.
NAGKAISA likewise noted that during the power summit in Mindanao last month, Aquino had told the audience that they will now have to pay higher power rates from coal and oil plants, and that the government-owned 850mw Agus-Pulangi plants would be privatized.
He seemed to have ignored the warning of local government officials in Mindanao that selling these assets would the electricity industry cartel to invade and cause dramatic increases in rates in the island.
NAGKAISA called on workers and consumers to resist the Aquino government’s initiatives to privatize the healthcare and local water districts in the country. Like the failed privatization of the National Power Corporation in 2001, which was supported by ADB with a $300 million loan, these efforts would not truly benefit the people.
NAGKAISA denounced the failure of the ADB to fulfill its anti-poverty mandate and reason for continued existence.
NAGKAISA reiterated its demand for security of tenure and decent jobs as the best anti-poverty measure and urged the President to favorably act on the workers’ need for increased wages.
NAGKAISA described the ongoing Asian Development Bank conference in PICC, Manila as the final nail on the coffin in which to bury consumers’ protection and workers rights, as Aquino uses the affair as a stage to accelerate the transfer ownership of all remaining power, healthcare and local water assets of the Philippine government to private investors.
Workers belonging to different groups within the coalition waved banners and placards as they attempted to deliver their own messages while Aquino was making his speech before hundreds of foreign delegates.
NAGKAISA linked the ADB privatization agenda and the Administration’s flagship Public Private Partnership to Aquino’s May 1 Labor Day speech, where he practically told workers petitioning for better workers protection, by supporting their security of tenure bill, to drop dead.
He also essentially discredited the pending congressional wage increase proposal by erroneous computation during a Labor Day dialogue that never was.
Aquino even cited cheaper labor in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, without comparing the cost of living in those countries with that of the Philippines.
NAGKAISA said that Aquino clearly doesn’t see that increasing the purchasing power of workers thru wage adjustments as a way of raising consumption, as a means of pump priming the economy. Aquino in effect supports a race-to-the-bottom in the name of building Philippine competitiveness by artificially keeping workers salaries’ low.
NAGKAISA likewise noted that during the power summit in Mindanao last month, Aquino had told the audience that they will now have to pay higher power rates from coal and oil plants, and that the government-owned 850mw Agus-Pulangi plants would be privatized.
He seemed to have ignored the warning of local government officials in Mindanao that selling these assets would the electricity industry cartel to invade and cause dramatic increases in rates in the island.
NAGKAISA called on workers and consumers to resist the Aquino government’s initiatives to privatize the healthcare and local water districts in the country. Like the failed privatization of the National Power Corporation in 2001, which was supported by ADB with a $300 million loan, these efforts would not truly benefit the people.
NAGKAISA denounced the failure of the ADB to fulfill its anti-poverty mandate and reason for continued existence.
NAGKAISA reiterated its demand for security of tenure and decent jobs as the best anti-poverty measure and urged the President to favorably act on the workers’ need for increased wages.
Monday, April 23, 2012
New alliance unites Philippine labor
A new alliance of some 40 major trade unions and labor federations have united to advance trade union and workers’ rights in the Philippines.
Aptly called NAGKAISA (united), the newly-established network of labor organizations vowed to fight labor contractualization, advocate for security of tenure and fight for an across-the-board increase in workers’ pay.
“After a series of in-depth discussions, we, the leaders and members of major labor and trade unions and workers’ organizations in the country have mutually decided to be united by embracing our diversity,” said the group in a statement during a media conference in Manila today.
Philippine labor has been generally regarded as fragmented, but NAGKAISA is bent on changing that impression and ushering in a new era in Philippine labor.
“In the face of the prevalent anti-worker environment and given our diverse ideologies, methodologies and approaches, our unions have continued to champion workers’ right to organize, to collectively bargain, to hold strikes and to engage government in social dialogue, but with limited success. We believe that the Filipino workers can be empowered again by, first and foremost, united action among unions and workers’ organizations.” NAGKAISA said.
“We are forming the coalition called NAGKAISA, which will consistently and passionately work towards restoring the right to full protection and the chance to live a decent and dignified life for all Filipino working men and women—whether formal or informal, private or public, here or abroad,” the group added.
NAGKAISA is challenging deregulation and other policies that lead to perpetual increases of oil prices and cost of food, electricity and other utilities and basic services such as education, in order to provide immediate relief to the economic burden of workers.
“Workers’ struggle for decent work is being defeated by greedy employers’ blatant assault on their rights. Their chances to it are being deprived by the Philippine government’s labor, social and economic policies that always function in favor of local and foreign businesses,” NAGKAISA said.
The group is also pressing for the ratification of ILO Convention 189 or the Decent Work for Domestic Workers Convention.
NAGKAISA, as one voice of labor, will actively engage industry and all branches of government at all levels in meaningful and progressive social dialogue to improve the plight of workers.
“If necessary, NAGKAISA will be holding decisive mass actions to bring these issues closer to and wield support from the people,” the group said.
NAGKAISA will hold a rally on Labor Day in Manila, where it plans to mobilize some 40,000 workers.
NAGKAISA
• AFW • AIWA • ALU (METAL, PSU, TEXTILE, TRANSPORT) • APL • APSOTEU • ATU • BMP • CIU • CLASS • FCCU • FFW • KAMAO • KILUSAN • KKKP • LIBO • MAKABAYAN • MARINO • NABU • NAFLU • NAMAWU • NCL • NCTU • NUPP • NUWHRAIN • PALEA • PEUP • PGEA • PILLU • PIPSEA • PM • PMA • PSLINK • PTGWO • SENTRO • TESDA-ACE • VIMCOMTU • WSN •
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