DoLE’s ruling on Hacienda Luisita favoring the management will prolong strike

“The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is acting all too hypocritical with the release of its decision on the Hacienda Luisita case. “DoLE is posturing as if it is concerned with the families of the sugar mill workers at the Central Azucarrera de Tarlac (CAT), but it issued out orders which are further damaging to the workers’ cause. Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas decided in favor of the management and not for the workers of Hacienda Luisita and CAT. With this, workers have more justified reasons to demand for Sto. Tomas’ dismissal as Labor Chief.”

Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) lambasted the labor department for misleading the public regarding important details of the workers’ strike at Hacienda Luisita and Central Azucarrera de Tarlac. “DoLE is doing everything in its capacity to undermine the workers’ strike. DoLE’s ruling clearly favors the Cojuangco-Aquino family. The decision is a win-win situation both for the management and the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government,” said KMU Secretary General Joel Maglunsod.

Maglunsod said Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas is spitting out lies to cover up her responsibility in the violent dispersal last November 16 that led to the massacre of seven people. “Her latest Return to Work Order could be another license for the police and military to act violently towards the striking workers,” the labor leader warned.

In a paid advertisement released by DoLE, it claimed that only 87 out of 700 workers of the sugar mill went on strike. “It could be true that DoLE acted based on the rule of law, but the law only favored to the management and not to the interests and welfare of CAT workers and their dependents. Not everything legal are moral.”

“Union busting is at the core of DoLE’s ruling. DoLE failed to mention that it also ordered the sacking of 35 CATLU officials. Sto. Tomas is using divide and rule tactics to further suppress the workers’ legitimate collective action. “Dahil sa Assumption of Jurisdiction ng DoLE, pinatay ang mga manggagawa, ngayon, gusto namang tanggalan ng pamunuan ang unyon at welga ng mga manggagawa.”

“DoLE is trying hard to make it appear that the strike was staged by a minority section of the CAT workforce, but the truth is, less than a hundred workers stayed inside the sugar mill including seven pro-management union officials, when the strike erupted last November 6. Majority of CAT workers joined and supported the strike since then. Hundreds of CAT workers are at the picketlines. Operations of the sugarmill remain paralyzed because majority of the workers refused to work unless the labor dispute is settled.”

CATLU workers decided to defy the return to work order as they deem the DoLE ruling adverse to their cause. “DoLE and the Cojuangco-Aquino management must also address the issues raised by the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers, mainly the scrapping of the Stock Distribution Option and their demands for sufficient wages, regular employment and union recognition.”

Meanwhile, Atty. Nenita Mahinay of Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE), the law firm representing the CAT and ULWU workers, said that the economic package granted by DoLE to the CAT workers is actually a setback from previous economic gains won by the sugarmill workers through collective bargaining.

KMU said they are supporting the continuing strike of CATLU and ULWU workers.