Warrior Workers: Meet the groups that fight for labor rights

File photo

With the ever changing landscape of work in the Philippines, there are always new battles to be fought to secure fair labor rights.

Fighting for this cause is a difficult and often thankless job, but there are some groups that are more than happy to take on the challenge.

One of them is the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), the country’s largest labor federation.

ALU-TUCP, which was founded on April 1954, aimed to bring togetherunion organizations from almost all industries, including banking and finance, agriculture, textile and garment, transport, hotels and restaurants, wood and paper, communication, service, electricity, electronics, chemicals, metal, food, construction, among others.

“The essence of what we are fighting for is that workers should be included in the progress of the company, and of our country’s economy. You can only do that by providing security of tenure, a decent salary, and most of all, social protection and benefits,” said Alan Tanjusay, spokesman of ALU-TUCP.

Tanjusay said the group has about 1.2 million members and is composed of 27 labor federations.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) is another group that is pushing for jobs for Filipino workers, fair pay, and labor rights.

Its launching activity on May 1, 1980 at the Araneta Center in Cubao was attended by about 50,000 people and was said to be the biggest assembly of workers during martial law.

Currently, the group has about 1.3 million members and has 11 federations and two mass organizations under its wing, according to KMU Executive Chairman Lito Ustarez.

“Tunay, palaban, at makabayang unyonismo – ‘yun pa rin ang prinsipyong kanyang dala-dala (Genuine, militant, and patriotic trade unionism – until now, that is the principle that the group holds on to),” he said.

Both groups shared that they have earned flak for the work that they do. Ustarez admitted that it was getting more difficult for them to bring attention to the causes they are fighting for. But even with all these challenges, they agree that only one thing pushes them to continue fighting: Their principles.

“They should be grateful to these labor organizations, because if not for them, workers would not have minimum wage, overtime pay, insurance. All the things that workers receive – their pay, benefits, among others – are all because of the huge and important help given by labor organizations,” Tanjusay said.

Both groups shared that they have been preparing activities for the upcoming Labor Day.

Tanjusay said they will be conducting more seminars to teach essential skills to unions and workers to better themselves.

“If you want a business or a company to thrive, you should equip the workers with necessary skills. Not only should they know and memorize their skill sets, they should work on improving them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ustarez said KMU will be having an open house exhibit on April 28 to 30 to showcase the effigy that they will be burning on Labor Day.

Tanjusay and Ustarez also urged everyone to join the Labor Day rally to celebrate the workers’ huge contribution to the country’s progress and to push for labor rights.

“We salute and give thanks to all Filipino workers who continue to work and give sacrifices every day,” Tanjusay said. “Continue being excellent, industrious, tenacious, and continue to support your families with dignity through good and honest work.” - By Minka Klaudia Tiangco

TUCP seeks standard emergency protocol for the workplace

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said that it is high time to set mandatory workplace emergency protocol standards for workers to ensure their safety during emergency situations.

TUCP President Raymond Mendoza (TUCP Party-List / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Because there are no specific mandatory guidelines regarding such life and death scenario, there is a very urgent need to create a regulation or mandatory policy standards protocols now that protects the workers’ health and safety and guides employees and employers on what to do when emergency disasters and calamities occur during working hours,” said TUCP President Raymond Mendoza.

Mendoza said some companies adopt their own evacuation protocols and hire safety officers and safety evacuation plans voluntarily, but many “enterprises do not have or are not even aware of such employees evacuation procedures.”

“Most of the victims in workplace disasters are the rank-and-file employees (cashiers, casino employees, salesladies, security guards ) who were made to hang on to their work and remain in their stations waiting for specific orders from managers, supervisors and company owners amid the quickly evolving mishap,” said Mendoza.
“A split second-time delay in reaction to such dangerous situation further exposes workers to workplace death and injury,” he added.

The labor group said that it received reports from workers, through social media, seeking help and advice after their employers reportedly refused to evacuate them during the earthquake last Monday.

“Though Republic Act 11058 or ‘An Act Strengthening Compliance With Occupational Safety and Health Standards And Providing Penalties Thereof’ mandates employers and contractors to provide a safe and healthy workplace and that it gives employees the right to refuse to work in an unsafe workplace, there’s still an imperative to create a specific implementing rules and regulations of the law that governs this emergency scenario such as earthquakes,” the group said. - By Analou De Vera

It’s ‘abuse’ to prevent workers’ evacuation during earthquake – labor group

TUCP says it received complaints from call center workers who were not allowed to evacuate and were told to continue working after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit Luzon on Monday

EVACUATE. Shoppers seen rushing outside as they evacuate the Robinson Place Manila mall following an earthquake that hit Luzon on April 22, 2019. Photo by Inoue Jaena/Rappler 

MANILA, Philippines – Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) hit employers who refused to let workers evacuate from buildings when a magnitude 6.1 earthquake rocked Luzon on Monday, April 22, and then made them resume work right after, without waiting for the structural integrity of the buildings to be checked.

TUCP president Raymond Mendoza said the group received several reports from employees about managers, supervisors, and employers who did not practice safety precautions as workers were made to remain indoors during the earthquake.

He said some employees were also ordered to keep working “despite of the dangers and hazards on the workplace caused by the quake.”

“This company practice or policy is a form of abuse and it must be condemned because it imperils the lives of their employees and jeopardizes the safety and health of workers,” Mendoza said on Tuesday, April 23.

TUCP did not name the companies where workers were supposedly prevented from evacuating. However, TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said they received complaints from workers in call centers and the business process outsourcing industry.

After the strong earthquake in Luzon was felt at 5:11 pm on Monday, evacuations of government offices, private offices, schools, and buildings were conducted as a precautionary measure.

In the event of an earthquake, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recommends that people find a safe exit and move to an open area that's far away from trees, power lines, posts, and concrete structures.

Safety first always

Mendoza reminded employers and business owners that it is their responsibility to put safety first and ensure their employees are kept safe and secure during workplace disasters, earthquakes, and fires, among others.

Employers, he said, should check on buildings and workplaces for possible damage caused by tremors during the earthquake to prevent future accidents from occurring.
“It is possible that the damage may not be immediately obvious, but it already impacted the integrity of the workplace structure and may cause irreparable damage upon aftershocks and future earthquakes,” Mendoza said.

The group reminded employees that under Republic Act 11058 or An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards, workers have the right to refuse work if the workplace is unsafe.

The law says workers may do so, without threat from their employer.

“If workers were forced to work despite of the notice of unsafe workplace, employers, contractors and business-owners are administratively liable,” Mendoza said.

Under RA 11058, employers, contractors, sub-contractors, or work supervisors who violate this law, will have to pay a fine of P100,000 for every day that a violation is not remedied, counting from the day the employer is notified or the compliance order is issued by the Department of Labor and Employment.

Past noon on Tuesday, April 23, a stronger earthquake – with a magnitude of 6.5 – struck parts of the Visayas. – Rappler.com

Cebu Pacific cabin crew establish new union

Interaksyon file photo

CEBU Pacific Air Inc. is gearing up for upcoming negotiations with its new cabin crew union, Juan Wing Regular Cabin Crews of the Philippines, after the union was formally established last week.

“In the coming weeks, we will be meeting with representatives of the Juan Wing cabin crew union. We intend to engage in healthy dialogue and ensure a positive and productive relationship,” Cebu Pacific COO Michael Ivan S. Shau told BusinessWorld on Sunday.

Last week, the ballot counting from the April 1 to 5 elections for the establishment of a union for cabin crew showed 1,124 out of 1,135 votes cast chose “Yes to union.” Both the elections and counting were overseen by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

The Associated Labor Union — Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), with which Juan Wing is affiliated, said that the newly-formed union is preparing to discuss issues like security of tenure, improved benefits, and fair wages for cabin crew.

“The union will negotiate for better wages and benefits, better working conditions, and better terms under the existing labor policies and regulations to improve… (the) working climate that would benefit the interests of both the union members and the management,” said TUCP President Raymond C. Mendoza in a statement on Sunday.

Mr. Shau said that the airline’s desire to provide all Cebu Pacific employees better labor rights has always been a top concern.

The JG Summit Holdings, Inc. unit said it practices are in line with the group’s engagement policy with its workers.

“(C)ebu Pacific believes that there is no differentiation between unionized and non-unionized employee groups when it comes to listening to and providing for the needs of our employees. In fact, JG Summit has a track record of maintaining open, transparent and mutually beneficial relationships with all 27 unions existing across the conglomerate,” he said. — Gillian M. Cortez