Appeal For Jobs And Justice

Joblessness and erosion of livelihood are the most concrete and massive effects of the global crisis.  According to Asia Development Bank, there are 950 000 Filipinos who lost their jobs from October 2008 to March 2009. This is an alarming additional figure to more than 12 million unemployed and underemployed Filipino workforce. Government response is intensified labor flexibilization  and trade union rights violations rather than protecting jobs and wages.

It is in this light that we strongly appeal for jobs and justice.  We are united and determined to help save our country from deepening hunger and poverty brought by both the global and domestic crisis. 

We are the undergarment workers of the German-owned Triumph International who served the company for more than 30 years.  But we were inhumanely and unjustly dismissed. Our union busted, our collective action criminalized by the government and our picket violently dispersed and demolished.   The company closed the factory without prior notice and job saving measures in connivance with the government.

We are one of the workers of Amkor Anam, Pacific Semi-Conductors, Unilever Philippines Packaging, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Texas Instruments, Intel Philippines, Philippine Port, Philippine Airlines and many companies who were massively laid-off with no just compensation and benefits. 

We symbolize the workers of Nestle, Hacienda Luicita, Dole Philippines and Bluestar Workers at Advan shoes who are victims of trade union violations of labor standards; right to self organization and right to collectively bargain.

We also belong to the workforce threatened by retrenchment and forced to endure precarious, flexible, contract, casual, unsafe and low paying job in order to retain our jobs.

We are women workers who are suffering discrimination and first to be laid off, victims of sexual harassment, exploitative working condition, underpaid and deprived of our benefits as a woman and as a mother.

We represent the Overseas Filipino Workers and families who are also hit by massive lay-off. Not to mention the prevalent abuse, maltreatment and racism that we experience. We are forced to work outside our country due to lack of decent job opportunities and deepening poverty.

Thus,  we believe that migration, labor flexibilization; contractualization, casualization and outsourcing or call center jobs that are serving the interests for profit of big multi-national companies are not the answer to the job crisis.  What we need is to build and develop our domestic economy, industries and production based primarily on the needs of our people and will create decent jobs for every Filipinos.

We are saddened and we denounce those multi-national corporations and companies that did not practice their own Corporate Social Responsibility and violate the OECD Guidelines for Multinational corporations and International Labor Conventions.

We also call to stop labor flexibilization aiming to pass the brunt of the crisis to the people that has been implemented by the Philippine Government in favor of foreign capitalists.

Hence, we appeal to the Filipino people, to our fellow workers, youth and students, women, church people, progressive groups and individuals to join us in fighting for justice and asserting for our rights to decent, productive and secure jobs.  Let us also  join hands for our quest to a truly democratic, prosperous and peaceful society based on justice.

We call immediately for all victims of mass lay-off:

-          To secure immediate decent jobs and provide unemployment benefits while not employed and right benefits for women especially the mothers, pregnant and the old.

-          Financial assistance.

-          To support workers’ cooperative of displaced workers.

-          To nationalize or expropriate closed/idle factories and continue the production based on domestic needs Ex. Triumph, Novelty and Laws Textile 

We call for the urgent passage of the P125 across the board wage increase bill.

We call to stop trade union and workers rights violations.

We call for the amendments of the Labor Code for the protection of workers rights to self organization and collectively bargain: job security, just salaries and wages and benefits.

We denounce the Philippine Government in conniving with Multi-National Companies. The government should take decisive action for the benefit of the workers.

We call to create decent, productive and secure jobs and livelihood to save our people from hunger and poverty.

-          To advance a comprehensive economic development through nationalizing our industries and implementing land reform.

-          To struggle for living wage.

-          To stop labor flexibilization and labor export policy 

Please join and support us through:

1.       Signing our appeal for jobs and justice and Spread this Letter of Appeal to your friends, neighbors, fellow workers, office mates and to other people.

2.       Sending protest letters to the multi-national companies that violate labor standards and workers rights such as Triumph International (German and Swiss embassy). Copy furnished to their respective embassies.

3.       Sending appeal letters to the Philippine Government, Department of Labor and Employment and other agencies to pressure them to act in favor of the workers who were victimized.

4.       Supporting international cases filed by local unions and workers at the OECD and ILO.

5.       Lobby for the amendments of the Labor Code and support house bills, resolutions, investigations and inquiries of progressive partylist supporting workers struggle.

6.       Joining our education program and solidarity actions.

7.       Holding integration/exposure program with the ranks of the workers.

8.       Linking to workers’ union, people’s organizations, non government organization and other networks and associations with the same advocacies.

9.       Donating in kind and financial support for the defend jobs campaign, food of workers on picket and legal needs or help pool funds and resources for alternative livelihood and support system for the displaced worker especially for the education of their children.

10.   Volunteering in the campaign to defend jobs: documentation, paralegal, investigation, urgent appeals and workers response.