Workers’ rights violations increasing in Marcos term
The Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo-Kilusang Mayo Uno (AMA-SugboKMU) Chairperson Jaime Paglinawan claimed that the violation to workers’ rights in Cebu worsened under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos.
This, as the group had filed a written report yesterday to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-7.
Paglinawan said that DOLE-7, as the agency that defends the rights of workers, must give this issue due attention as it urged the department to defend workers, unionists, and unions from the increasing labor rights violations in Central Visayas.
The Central Visayas region, especially Cebu, has faced numerous cases of violations to the freedom of association, including harassment of workers and urban poor communities, cases of state forces forcing and threatening workers to dis-affiliate from unions or blacklisting them from joining unions, red-tagging, and the state-sponsored abduction and illegal detention of union organizers, Paglinawan said.
AMA-Sugbo-KMU, in its six-page written report, stated that in August 2019, Paglinawan, Greg Perez from Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator
Nationwide - Cebu (PISTON - Cebu), and Regletto Aldrich Imbong from All U.P. Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) was tagged in a Facebook post that read: “Lets spread awareness sa ating mga kaibigan sa Cebu upang hindi sila maipahamak ng mga partylist na ito” and “Sila ang puno’t dulo ng karahasan sa ating bayan.”
On January 17, 2021, Paglinawan, Perez, Ronilo Gahator, and Aldo Serat received a text message informing them that they were going to be “targets” for that week.
The group added that tarpaulins were hung around the communities of Mandaue City and Consolacion, Cebu tagging KMU and PISTON as affiliates of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP - NPA).
Also sometime in March 2021, posters were distributed around Carbon Market, Cebu and CICC, Mandaue City accusing Paglinawan, John Ruiz of Bayan Muna and Belinda Allere, an urban poor organizer-- as recruiters of the NPA.
AMA Sugbo-KMU capped off their filing with a series of recommendations, including a swift and impartial investigation of the cited cases of violation to the ILO Conventions 87 and 98 in order to penalize the responsible state forces.
The group also urged the DOLE-7 to act on the pending cases of workers and unions in Cebu and to decide in favor of them.
These cases include the cases of workers from Liwayway Marketing Corporation and Coca-Cola Cebu, the Mehitabel case of illegal deduction, and the case of Allan Millor against Alta Grace Marine Services and Tsuneishi Heavy Industries
Cebu, Inc.
“We should not wait for anyone to be killed before we can say there are violations to our rights. There are more unreported cases because of the continued threats from the state towards the workers. Government agencies who have a responsibility towards workers must take action and someone must be held accountable,” Paglinawan added.