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Protests vs. Bush-Arroyo tandem on October 18
Workers group not convinced that Bush’s visit will boost local employment
The militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) labor center today said that more companies will close and unemployment will continue to swell if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo succeeds with her plan to grab the presidency in 2004. “The US-backed Arroyo candidacy in 2004 will not at all benefit Filipino workers. Under Mrs. Arroyo’s term, the unemployment rate rose to 12.7 percent with more than 4 million Filipinos out of work.”
KMU Chairman Elmer Labog said that in the past years, the condition of workers worsened with the absence of any substantial wage increase coupled with massive job termination and retrenchment. The group said the government is accountable for this situation with its constant patronage to globalization policies. “We do not believe that US President George Bush’s visit will boost domestic employment like what Malacanang claims. His visit will only affirm the government’s compliance to foreign prescriptions on economy and military affairs. We will join the broad people’s protest to welcome his arrival.”
“Local investors are losing the fight against big foreign companies with the dumping of imported consumer products. Thousands of locally-owned small and medium enterprises already closed shop due to stiff competition with their foreign counterparts. Workers strikes are inevitable with these conditions,” Labog said.
The labor leader said that workers have all the right to protest against the world’s most powerful leader when he arrives on October 18. “We regard him as an enemy of workers all over the world. He is responsible for heinous war crimes against humanity with his so-called war against terrorism.”
Crusade vs. corruption in labor agencies
Meanwhile, Labog said that corruption in the government especially in labor agencies further aggravates the condition of workers. KMU will launch a protest at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) office on Wednesday, October 15, to complain on the government’s sluggish action on various labor cases. “We will launch a crusade against corrupt labor officials.”
“Countless labor cases are gathering cobwebs in the NLRC and Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR). Even worse, most labor arbiters and conciliators have shown partiality to the capitalists. They even enter on amicable settlement with employers and managements. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas and BLR Commissioner Roy Seneres must account for this situation.”
Last year, the Nestle-Cabuyao union and the public sector union COURAGE have both accused Sto. Tomas of corruption. The Nestle union said that Nestle paid 8,915 Swiss Francs or almost P315,312.79 for Sto. Tomas’ limousine and chauffeur services from Geneva to Milano and back on June 15-16, 2002. Sto. Tomas was in Switzerland then for an International Labor Organization (ILO) conference. Meanwhile, COURAGE questioned Sto. Tomas’ lifestyle and abuse of position.
In line with its crusade, KMU strongly encouraged DOLE employees to expose cases of corruption involving executives and officials of government labor agencies.