TUCP expresses its concern and displeasure on the closure of ABS CBN: 11,000 workers impacted by closure

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) expresses its grave concern and its deep displeasure on the loss of jobs and negative impact on the fight against COVID-19 that the Cease and Desist Order of the National Telecommunications closing down ABS-CBN will have. With a single stroke of the pen, an unfeeling NTC has rendered 11,000 workers jobless, increasing the vulnerability of these workers and their families to both the ravages of COVID-19 and the economic recession. Truth and the ABS-CBN workers are the first victims of the NTC order.

The second victims of NTC will be the nation as a whole. Mean-spirited and unwise, the NTC Order will effectively raise COVID-19 incidence as our poorest people, without the distraction of their favorite tv shows inside their super-heated, locked down homes, start congregating outside their crowded communities without physical distancing. Further, without recourse to their trusted and credible news sources, people will be left adrift in the miasma and mess of fake news and myths that populates other media.

At this time when the nation's survival is at stake, at this point when real time information is crucial in battling the COVID-19 pandemic, and at this moment when national solidarity is forged through media and broadcast networks so our nation may heal as one, NTC by-passed the prerogative of Congress, as the representatives of the people, to properly rule on the fate of the ABS-CBN franchise renewal during an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Without legal basis for issuing the Order, NTC should have taken the higher moral ground by issuing a provisional authority to operate thereby allowing a comprehensive Congressional deliberation on the issues at hand.

Instead, NTC jumped the gun by foolishly putting its foot forward to derail the democratic process and in the process, hijacking a Constitutional mandate to Congress emanating from the people.

TUCP demands that the NTC provide its legal basis for issuing the Cease and Desist Order notwithstanding a Congressional consensus that a temporary permit must be issued to ABS-CBN while it works out its franchise renewal from Congress.

As the largest national trade union center, we remind NTC that it is not just shutting off a network, it is treacherously shutting off the hopes and aspirations of its workers and their families. It is treacherously shutting off all hopes and aspirations of its 11,000 workers and their families forged through hard work and perseverance to improve their lives through an honest living.

TUCP joins the Filipino nation in rallying behind the cause of the viewers of ABS CBN with their daily involvement and even commitment to ABS-CBN news and entertainment programs that soothes and makes it easier to bear with the hardships of their daily lives. The ordinary Filipino who voted for President Duterte could not have been more resilient, hopeful, creative and more hardworking if there was no ABS-CBN to accompany them in their daily struggles.

The TUCP, along with our member-federations and member-workers are one with ABS-CBN and its workers in this fight. This too shall pass. - TUCP Labor Center


Atty. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza
President, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)
Representative, House of Representatives, TUCP Partylist

TUCP pushes postlockdown safety nets

File photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) pushed more safety nets to protect workers from expected changes in labor practices and employment as the country prepares to exit its six-week lockdown due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The TUCP feared pay cuts, increased contractualization and “massive layoff of workers” as the country struggles to restart the economy after the scheduled end of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine on May 15.

“Some companies won’t be able to reopen post lockdown. They would be pressed to build up capital or resume operations. If they do reopen, they would run on a skeleton force,” TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.

—Jovic Yee

TUCP on May 1, 2020: Workers Unite, Let us build back better, build a decent and more equitable society.

#LaborDay #MayDay2020

𝐿𝐴𝐵𝑂𝑅 𝐷𝐴𝑌 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑇𝐸𝑀𝐸𝑁𝑇

“Isang mapagpalayang pagbati sa dakilang araw nating mga obrero!”

𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.
But in this time of COVID-19 pandemic, workers and their families are the first victims. The socio-economic inequalities that workers and their families have to suffer daily, have been magnified a thousand-fold. Living in communities that are less than decent, eating food that is less than nourishing, hoping against hope that the public healthcare system will be strengthened just in time, and surviving on cash handouts that are less than fair.

For millions of workers under 'no work, no pay' arrangements and those who are at the mercy of contractual arrangements without security of tenure, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆.

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 - these are our healthcare workers, our frontline public sector workers, our workers in essential businesses such as banks, groceries and pharmacies, delivery services, security guards, janitors, garbage collectors, and all workers who despite the threat of starvation sacrificed for the fight against COVID-19.

The challenge that we face today is how to collectively shape a world that treats its workers fairly by building back better.

Workers have always been at the forefront of change, and we must ask ourselves what our society should look like after this. The ones who keep the world running are the minimum wage earners and healthcare workers who do backbreaking work but are not given secure jobs, and are left to toil and survive below the poverty line.

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 as the world can so easily close its doors to our workers overseas. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, when we have also been forced to close our doors to the rest of the world. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁.

TUCP envisions the New Normal as a society where workers rights are protected, government addresses workers needs and prioritizes it first and foremost, and the generation of capital and profit-taking by the elites no longer constitutes the bottom line.

𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻.
So, today we call on government to place the health and safety of workers first. Partner with workers as we craft comprehensive guidelines that will allow us back to safe workplaces. For workers still in lockdown, augment and extend the DOLE wage support programs for formal sector workers and the social amelioration programs for our Overseas Filipino Workers and the Informal sector. That is only just, because they built the wealth that only the few in our society enjoy.

Today, we call on all workers to unite, let us build back better, let us build a decent and more equitable society for all workers. - TUCP Labor Center

Extended or modified ECQ? #BalikTrabahongLigtas, an equitable new normal is what we want – labor group

Today, the president is expected to announce his decision on what to do with the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

For the Nagkaisa! labor coalition, to extend or to modify the ECQ are false choices for the working class. Sadly government is unable to display ability to provide the requirements for either of these two options.

Should the lockdown be extended due to the fact that the virus has yet to be contained, workers have to face the reality that the government has been consistently failing to provide its promised aid to the poor and the near poor, many of whom they mistakenly categorize as the “middle class.”

After 5 weeks of lockdown, the president himself, in his latest report to Congress, admitted that only 49% of the target beneficiaries were actually provided with its minimal aid. Majority of the people in need, in other words, are getting more frustrated of the slow, intricate and short-circuited administration of the promised aid.

Should the lockdown be modified to allow some workers back to work, workers also face the grim reality that both the government and many employers have yet to prove that they can actually provide a safe working environment for everyone as the level of protection, even for our frontliners and those who were allowed to remain working in essential establishments, are sorely lacking.

Asking workers to return to work without the most effective mass testing method may end up wasting whatever gains we had during the quarantine.

In effect, government and employers are irresponsibly gambling with the lives of the working class to save the inequitable economy that we have.

This is why, before we even talk of what to do with ECQ, Nagkaisa is pressing for the following demands:

1. Show the public a clear action battle plan not only for defeating the virus but also in protecting the people from the impacts of economic recession

2. Provide universal support like an income guarantee equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage or P10k whichever is higher to avoid the bureaucratic bottlenecks created by targeted support.

3. Improve protection to all our health workers who are disproportionately victimized by the virus and start building up the public health care delivery by hiring full time healthcare workers and regularizing all HCWs under contract of service arrangements.

4. Release a DOLE Department Order that would mandate the employers to negotiate with unions or workers’ representatives practical and realistic Covid-19 protocols, most importantly a PCR-based massive testing as against the rapid antibody test being promoted by the business sector; provision of PPEs, regular workplace disinfection, and providing paid quarantine leaves when needed.

5. Ensure free medical services should workers be infected.

The administration should address these challenges in the soonest possible time. Nangkaisa! also calls on government to consult with trade unions and other people’s organizations — listen to their calls and work with them in addressing the challenges of this pandemic.

Clearly, we can no longer go back to normal. Returning back to depressed working conditions without labor rights protection is not what we envision.

If we are to restart the economy, we might as well build a better one, an economy that is equitable enough to ensure that everyone shares the fruits of economic developments, and sustainable enough to mitigate even the impacts of climate change and future pandemics.

Nagkaisa! is set to unveil is comprehensive proposals before May 1.

#BalikTrabahongLigtas

PRESS STATEMENT
NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition
April 23, 2020