Filipino workers dare ASEAN business leaders ­ respond to our economic demands, give justice for all victims of trade union repr

Regional 'common market' in Asia will only serve foreign economic interests

Cebu City - In a symbolic action, various workers groups and labor organizations exposed the ASEAN Business Summit's general objective of regional market integration. Delegates of the Jobs and Justice International Conference together with the Kilusang Mayo Uno, AMA-Sugbo and other groups jogged from Gorordo St. up to the Cebu Waterfront Hotel, where business leaders are gathering. The groups said they want to wake up ASEAN business leaders and assert to them the immediate concern of Filipino workers. "Our experiences prove that economic and business policies attuned to globalization will only effect abusive working conditions for workers."

"We dare business leaders to heed our legitimate calls. Our urgent concerns include the demand for immediate economic relief through the P125 wage increase, recognition and respect for trade union rights and justice for all the victims of trade union repression and politically-motivated killings. So far, 79 workers were killed since 2001 under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration."

"The BIS' theme "One Caring and Sharing Community ­ Bringing Asian Business to the World already sums up the ultimate aim of the ASEAN BAC ­ creation of one market to dump with surplus goods and one labor force to extract more profit. This agenda is hidden behind pro-globalization catchphrases like "regional cooperation" and "global business outlook," said KMU Executive Vice President Joselito Ustarez.

The labor leader said that ASEAN's thrust to forge a common market through trade and investment integration will only favor the ''superpower economies'' of U.S., Japan and European Union. "In competition for ever more profits and bigger share of a constricted

market, capitalists adopt new machinery, production techniques and lay-off workers which they deem expensive. This spawns a growing population of overworked and underpaid workers amidst a swelling ocean of unemployed, underemployed and irregularly employed workers."

''The regionalized integration of 11 major industries common among ASEAN member countries will eventually fulfill the U.S. government's long-term plan to forge Free Trade Agreements with Asian countries. These FTAs aim only to maximize and further exploit the natural and human resources as well as lucrative markets in Asian countries," Ustarez further said.

Ustarez said that regional market integration will only worsen the plight of workers in South East Asia. Repressive labor policies such as those being implemented in export processing zones will intensify. More flexible labor policies will subject workers to more exploitation."

In particular, KMU criticized the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). "How can the Philippines and other Asian countries unite on common standards on the employment of nurses when foreign market demands stringent requirements. For example, under the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement, (JPEPA), Filipino nurses applying for employment in Japan have to take licensure exams in Nihonggo. "Arroyo's labor-export policy all the more promotes labor migration of health professional at the expense of our depleting local health services," Ustarez said.

ASEAN targets the integration of agro-based products, air travel and air transport, automotive products, software and hardware electronics, fisheries, health care, rubber-based products, textiles and apparels, tourism and wood based products.