Cavite Workers March on May Day
Workers
from different workplaces, organized and unorganized, across Cavite marched
towards the front gate of the Cavite Economic Zone (CEZ) in the town of Rosario
to commemorate the International Labor Day on May 1.
About
500-strong workers and sectors supporting the workers cause staged their
program at the heat of the afternoon led by the Solidarity of Cavite Workers
(SCW), the provincial alliance of workers here in Cavite.
Bannered by
the warm participation of independent unions under the alliance, the May 1
program was themed in spurring workers movement united and organized under
genuine, militant, and anti-imperialist unionism.
Leaders
from different unions took turns to speak before the organized crowd focusing
on workers plight and issues at plant level.
Across the
nation, workers in public and private enterprises were calling for the revival
of a National Minimum Wage at 16,000PhP (347.83 USD where 1USD=46PhP) a month.
A study by
think tank Ibon Foundation the daily cost of living for a family to live
decently is pegged at 1,088PhP (23.65USD) while the daily minimum wage of
workers working in CEZ, the biggest government-operated economic zone in the
country, is 315PhP (6.85USD) excluding allowances.
When the
Wage Rationalization Act was enacted in 1989, minimum wages of workers in
different parts of the country began to vary depending on the classification of
a certain town or city set forth by the regional wage boards established under
the act.
However, the
objective of the said law to ensure a decent standard of living for the workers
were defeated after the boards that determine the factors to justify a wage
increase in a certain region or decide by how much the wages are raised are
more inclined to favor business establishment well-being than workers welfare.
Also among
who gave their speech was Christian Salazar.
Tano, as Christian
was fondly called by colleagues, recounted that he and his family just like the
others were made to believe that he can study and at the same time earn something
for himself.
He said
that youth like him are being recruited nowadays from far flung places by training
institutes authorized under the Technical Education Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) which implements the Dual Training System (DTS) Program to work
inside the manufacturing plants as trainees.
Though
considered as trainees, according to Tano that their workloads inside the
plants do not differ from the regular workers and usually, trainees were being
assigned to hazardous processes which the workers refuse.
As
trainees, they only receive a daily allowance equivalent to 75% of the enforced
minimum wage mandated by law. Trainees do not have any other benefits or
protection inside the plants because they are considered as students thus, they
are not covered by the labor code.
In the
recent past before Tano and some of colleagues went to seek the help of the
Workers Assistance Center (WAC) through the Hye Sung Workers Union (HSWU)
several trainees from Chopil Training Institute (Chopil as it commonly called),
the training-vocational institute that ‘recruited’ Tano, already questioned their
status inside the manufacturing plants and the role of Chopil as an institute
which supposedly trains them.
And the
young workers inside the manufacturing plants have been growing as
training-vocational institutes grow like mushrooms. And for Tano and company,
the situation had become alarming.
The workers
also did not shy away from calling for the ouster of President Noynoy Aquino.
For the
workers sector, under five (5) years of the Aquino Administration, it has
become callous in the calls of the workers to alleviate their situation while
very doggishly favoring every desires of big business especially those who
contributed well during his presidential bid.
They also
called for other workers to join the fight for the workers’ rights and welfare
by organizing their ranks into genuine unions.
Nagkakaisang
Manggagawa ng Keyrin Electronics (United
Workers of Keyrin Electronics) or NMKE failed to reach the program outside the
gate of CEZ because they were barred from marching towards the gate.
A few days
before May 1, union members of NMKE informed the organizers of the activity
headed by SCW that Keyrin Electronics Philippines, Inc. (KEPI) management
swapped their work schedule in May 1 instead of operating on May 2.
Not
deterred, NMKE union members decided to still join the program after their
shifts marching from their plants towards the gate.
However, uniformed
policemen from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and private
security personnel set up a barricade against the union just more than a
hundred meters from the gate.
Union
officers spoke to Mr. Allan Datahan, Industrial Relations Division Chief of
PEZA who were present at the barricade to let the marching workers pass and
open the gate so that they can join the May 1 program.
But, Mr.
Datahan did not heed the workers requests and told the workers that they
already know that everyone is prohibited to use the gate especially on the said
occasion. The workers were told to use the gate at the side of the CEZ, the
usual route of workers entering and exiting the zone.
The
standoff lasted until the program concluded at around six in the afternoon. By
the time the protesters marched towards the town plaza using torches made out bamboo,
union members from NMKE joined the mobilization.
In : News
Tags: "may day" scw workers cez cavite
null