Company workers in fishing and canning, operators of commercial fishing vessels as well as members of a big labor union here, will stage a peaceful rally today in front of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) along R.T. Lim Boulevard to protest the proposed amendments to Republic Act (RA) No. 8550, otherwise known as the Philippines Fisheries Code of 1998.
Protesters led by Mr. Jose Suan, National President of the Philippine Integrated Industries Labor Union (PIILU) and Vice President of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), have argued recently that thousands of workers will lose their jobs once the final version of the Congressional bill (House Bill No. 4536) amending the RA 8550 is approved by President Benigno Aquino III.
Suan said the peaceful rally will be from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., where the rallyists will assemble at Cawa-Cawa, R.T Lim Boulevard, then march towards BFAR.
He said officials of Southern Philippines Deep Sea Fishing Association Inc. (SOPHIL) led by its Executive Vice President Roberto Baylosis, and commercial operators homeported in Zamboanga City and officers and members of PIILU and TUCP who strongly support the appeal of Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations, will take part in the rally.
“We support the President but because of this, that we are not consulted, we are willing to sit down to bring back this matter to the drawing table and to study deeply (the House Bill 4536) with proper consultation,” said Suan.
“This (Congressional bill) needs to be reviewed. Sinasabi natin kay Pangulong Aquino na dapat tingnan mabuti ang bill, at magkaroon ng consultation bago niya aprobahan... they should look deeply into the House Bill because this is not good on the part of the stakeholders, particularly sa amin mga workers, we will lose our job,...not this railroading just to please the E.U. which we are not the exporter, we are only selling domistically,” Suan stressed.
“Why comfort the E.U. (European Union) when we are not exporting, particularly our main products here (Zambonga) are sardines?” Suan asked, reiterating an earlier statement of the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations, Inc.
Suan warned of “serious” consequences both economically unless the President vetoes the bill amending the Philippine Fisheries Code, “because thousands of workers will be jobless as all fishing companies operating in region 9, especially Zamboang City, will be closed down and forced to downsize and retrench workers.
“Our association will be much affected once the bill if passed,” Suan reiterated. “Magkakaroon ng downsizing or retrenchment ng more than 30,000 canning workers because walang fishing walang canning.”
The commercial fishing industry in the region — Universal Canning Inc., Mega Fishing Corporation, Oceanic Fishing Corporation, YL Fishing Corporation, Nancy Fishing Corporation, AMR Trade and Industrial Development Corporation, Centiury Fishing Corporation, OLC Fishing Corporation, E&L Fishing Enterprise, Zamboanga GMS Fishing Corporation, NCW Fishing Corporation, Jordan Fishing Corporation, Sky Ocean Fishing Corporation, Lourdes Fishing Corporation, OR Fishing, AM Fishing, S&M Fishing, Althea Fishing Goldenhook Fishing Corporation, Bigsmile Fishing Corporation, Vicory Fishing Corporation, and Walter Fishing Corporation — has more than 30,000 workers,
On December 1, 2014, the heads of the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations, Inc. through SOPHIL Executive Vice President Baylosis made an appeal to President Aquino, saying that the impetus for the lightning-swift passage of the bill is the intense pressure coming from the European Union who threatens to “red card” the fishery products.
“BFAR went overboard to please the E.U., an in fraction punishable by a fine of P10,000 under R.A. 8550 would now be punishable by as much as five million pesos for local fishing and up to ninety million pesos for large overseas fishing vessels plus an automatic escalation of 10% every three years.
The objective of this amendment looks noble: To conserve our marine resources. We support that objective, but law should not treat the commercial fishers as villains of the lowest level. Illegal fishermen using dynamite and/or cyanide cause irreparable damage, in contrast to the sustainable methods of commercial fishing. Unfortunately, the penalties for destructive fishing activities by illegal fishermen are even lighter than that imposed on commercial fishing operators,” the fishing federations’ appeal said Baylosis believes that the amendments of Philippines Fisheries Code of 1998 effectively convert BFAR into a superbody, with the enormous powers of a roving commission.
“BFAR will act as prosecutor, judge and executioner. It can not be issued TRO’s or injunctions. Neither can we file any suit against BFAR for any wrong they commit,” he added.
According to him, the bill was made possible because no meaningful consultation with the most affected sectors of the Philippine fishing industry was conducted.
No less than BFAR Director Asis Perez had admitted and profusely apologized several times before the whole body and Secretary Proceso Alcala during last November 29 post legislation meeting for not having consulted the stakeholders which represent the whole commercial fishing sector on the bill, Baylosis continued.
“If the fishing industry is killed by this bill... locally-caught fish will either disappear or will be priced very high. This situation can only be filled by importing fish,” he said.
He asked; “Would anyone eat imported frozen ‘galunggong’, if there were affordable fresh ‘galunggong avaiable?”
Baylosis implored President Aquino to veto the Congressional bill amending the Philippine Fisheries Code and help them start the process of working toegther to draft a new and more responsive one.
“A true Fisheries Code must be equally concerned with both marine resources and food security. The proposed bill only deals with crimes and punishments. No provisions to promote the growth of the fishing sector,” he said. — Hader Glang
Monday, December 8, 2014
Solon denounces contractualization scheme of big businesses in Mindanao
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Hon. Raymond Democrito C. MendozaMendoza, author of House Resolution 1573, said labor-only contracting has circumvent the labor code denying the workers right to security of tenure, right to self-organization, right to collectively bargain, right to decent wages and right to occupational safety and health.
Mendoza cited the case of the workers of the Sumifru Corporation, a firm dealing in production and exportation of "Cavendish bananas", pineapple and papayas in the Southern and Central Mindanao. The company is exporting its products to China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, New Zealand and Russia.
Mendoza said from June 2013 to June 2014, the Sumifru Corp. has terminated the services of its workers in Antipas, North Cotabato. Of the original 2,743 workers, only 529 were left.
Mendoza said the terminated workers were replaced by workers from Antipas Banana Workers Cooperative and Magsige MPC Agency who were asked to assume the job of the former regular workers of the Sumifru Corp.
"The use of tax exempt cooperatives which supplied workers to the company is clearly exploitative of the rights of the agricultural workers and exposing them to substandard wages, no overtime pay and without 13th month pay," Mendoza said.
Mendoza said through contractualization schemes and the use of "fake cooperatives", no employer-employee relationship will arise between the workers and the agricultural plantation.
"If there is no legal employer-employee relationship, the workers will be unable to enjoy the right to organize, bargain collectively and the right to collective action through strike, all of which are fundamental rights protected by the labor code," Mendoza said.
Mendoza said the policy of contractualization will create a race-to-to-bottom whereby agricultural plantations will seek to create comparative advantages and top shore up their competitive position by lowering wages, denying overtime pay and 13th month pay. - Media Relations Service-PRIB
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Labor code in BBL pushed
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| A Congress committee hearing on Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) |
In an interview, Trade Union Congress of the Philippine (TUCP) spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the move will ensure workers in the proposed new independent region in Mindanao, which will be created upon the passage of the BBL, enjoys decent working conditions. He said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is already considering their proposal and has agreed to create a technical working group to discuss it.
“The negation for this is ongoing. In fact, they accepted our proposal to create a technical working group, which will be composed by labor groups, including TUCP, and will discuss the aspects (of the BBL) about labor, wages, workers rights and productivity,” Tanjusay said. The BBL is currently still pending in Congress. (Samuel P. Medenilla - Manila Bulletin)
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Gov’t workers seek pay hike; strike looms
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| Philippine Government Employees’ Association (PGEA) |
Philippine Government Employees’ Association (PGEA) President Esperanza Ocampo said starting today their members will begin wearing black shirts to symbolize their complaint against the government’s inaction to their demand for additional pay.
PGEA is an affiliate organization of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), which covers employees in the public sector nationwide.
“As a form of peaceful dissent, all government employees will be wearing black-shirt and hanging black streamers in front of government offices to push for SSL 4 (Salary Standardization Law),” Ocampo said.
Ocampo threatened that should their demand fall on deaf ears or takes years before it gets acted upon, they will be forced to hold strikes.
She said the wage hike they are seeking will allow them to cope with the rising prices of basic goods and services.
“The government employees are praying hard that President Aquino will open his heart especially this yuletide season to the appeal of government employees to increase their salary,” Ocampo said.
PGEA has been calling on the government to begin negotiation for a new wage hike after the four-year effectivity of SSL 3 ended in 2012.
Under the SSL 3, which was approved by the previous administration in 2009, all pay grade levels in the government were increased by 12 percent.
Ocampo stressed that since SSL 3, the government has not yet granted them any pay increase.
She lamented the current administration even reduced their take home pay by increasing their taxable income.
PGEA spokesperson Glen Pastorfide said it hopes the government will listen to their request to hold dialogue on this matter early next year, before the start of the filing of candidacy for the 2016 national elections.
He said any later date would reduce the likelihood of the approval of the new SSL since lawmakers will already be preoccupied with the elections. - by Samuel Medenilla , Manila Bulletin
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